From the fake emperor to the concubine

“But do we have enough money?” Zheng Hongzhi asked.

Zheng Yi took out the brocade pouch from his bosom and opened it for everyone to see.

"This is the ten thousand taels of gold that Miss Hongyu gave me that day," he said. "It should be enough to buy several token slots."

"Ten thousand taels of gold!" Zheng Bowen gasped. "Patriarch, that's a huge sum of money!"

“Money is meant to be spent; keeping it is useless,” Zheng Yi said. “If we could use this ten thousand taels of gold to obtain a legitimate identity, that would be well worth it.”

After thinking about it, everyone agreed that Zheng Yi's words made sense.

"When does the patriarch plan to go to the Jade Pavilion?" Xiao Tianxing asked.

“Let’s go tomorrow,” Zheng Yi said. “The sooner the better; the longer it drags on, the more unpredictable things will become.”

"Do you want us to go with you?" Zheng Bowen asked.

"No need," Zheng Yi shook his head. "I can go alone; having too many people will only attract attention."

Everyone nodded and said no more.

The following morning, Zheng Yi set off for Qingyun City again.

This time, he still wore the human skin mask and acted as Zhang Yuan.

Upon arriving in Qingyun City, Zheng Yi headed straight for the Jade Pavilion.

It was still morning, and the Jade Pavilion had just opened for business; there weren't many customers. Zheng Yi walked through the gate, and a maid in a green silk dress greeted him.

"Young master, welcome to Jade Pavilion. May I ask if you've come to listen to music and drink wine, or if you have other needs?"

“I’m looking for Miss Hongyu,” Zheng Yi said.

The maid looked Zheng Yi up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Hongyu is the most sought-after courtesan at the Jade Pavilion; for ordinary people, even a single glimpse of her is nearly impossible. This seemingly ordinary middle-aged man, however, actually asks to see Hongyu?

"Does the young master know Miss Hongyu?" the maid asked.

“I met Miss Hongyu a few days ago,” Zheng Yi said. “Please inform her that Zhang Yuan requests an audience.”

"Zhang Yuan?" The maid suddenly realized, "So the young master is the same young master Zhang who came up with the brilliant matching couplet that day! Please wait a moment, I'll go and inform him right away."

She left quickly and didn't return until about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Young Master Zhang, Miss Hongyu requests your presence."

Zheng Yi followed the maid through the main hall of the Jade Pavilion and arrived at a small building in the backyard.

The small building was beautifully decorated, with several colorful lanterns hanging at the entrance, emitting a soft glow. The maid stopped at the door and gestured for the servants to enter.

"Young Master Zhang, please come in. Miss Hongyu is waiting for you inside."

"Thank you." Zheng Yi nodded, pushed open the door, and went inside.

The room was filled with a faint sandalwood scent, which was refreshing and pleasant. Miss Hongyu was sitting by the window, holding a book in her hands, reading it carefully.

Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw Zheng Yi; a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Young Master Zhang, you've arrived." She put down her book, stood up, and gave a graceful curtsy. "Hongyu thought you had already left Qingyun City."

“I still have some matters to attend to, so I cannot leave for the time being,” Zheng Yi said.

"Please sit, young master." Miss Hongyu gestured for him to sit down and personally poured him a cup of tea. "May I ask what brings you here today, young master?"

Zheng Yi took the teacup, took a sip, and then got straight to the point: "I've come today because there's something I'd like to discuss with Miss Hongyu."

"Oh? What is it?" Miss Hongyu asked curiously.

"I've heard that Jade Pavilion has the authority to register tokens for people without official identities," Zheng Yi said. "I'd like to purchase a few token slots; I wonder if Miss Hongyu could help me out?"

Upon hearing this, Hongyu's expression changed slightly.

"Young Master Zhang wants to purchase a token slot?" she pondered. "That might not be easy to arrange."

"Why?" Zheng Yi asked.

"The tokens for the Jade Pavilion are specially approved by the government and can only be used by the Jade Pavilion's own slaves and employees," said Miss Hongyu. "If any tokens are sold to outsiders without authorization, the Jade Pavilion will be severely punished if the government discovers it."

“I understand,” Zheng Yi said. “But I am willing to pay a high price and guarantee that I will not leak any information. Miss Hongyu may wish to consider it.”

The girl in red rain remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

"How many tokens does Young Master Zhang want?" she asked.

"Seven," Zheng Yi said. "They just need to be black iron tokens."

“Seven black iron tokens,” Miss Red Rain said thoughtfully. “According to market prices, the registration fee for one black iron token is one thousand spirit stones. But if you want a spot at the Jade Pavilion, the price will be at least ten times higher.”

"That's 70,000 spirit stones?" Zheng Yi said.

“Not just,” Miss Hongyu shook her head. “Seventy thousand spirit stones is just the basic fee. Besides that, there’s a risk fee and a confidentiality fee. After all, if this gets out, the Jade Pavilion’s losses can’t be compensated by just a few tens of thousands of spirit stones.”

"So, Miss Hongyu, how much money do you think is needed?" Zheng Yi asked.

Red Rain Girl held up one finger: "One hundred thousand spirit stones."

"One hundred thousand?" Zheng Yi frowned slightly.

The 10,000 taels of gold he possessed was equivalent to about 10,000 spirit stones. 100,000 spirit stones was indeed a huge sum for him.

“The price is a bit high,” Zheng Yi said. “I only have ten thousand spirit stones at the moment. Could you make an exception?”

"Ten thousand spirit stones?" Miss Hongyu shook her head. "That's too little. This matter is too risky; without sufficient reward, Jade Pavilion won't agree."

Zheng Yi fell silent.

He had originally thought 10,000 taels of gold would be enough, but he hadn't expected the price quoted by Jade Pavilion to be so high. It seemed that buying a token through normal channels was out of the question.

“However,” Miss Hongyu changed the subject, “if Young Master Zhang is willing to do Hongyu a favor, perhaps things can be different.”

"What kind of help?" Zheng Yi asked.

Miss Hongyu stood up, walked to the window, gazed at the scenery outside, and slowly said, "Young Master Zhang may not know, but although Hongyu is the most beautiful courtesan at Cuiyu Tower, she is not a member of Cuiyu Tower."

"What do you mean?" Zheng Yi asked, puzzled.

“Hongyu was sold to the Jade Pavilion.” Hongyu turned around, looking at Zheng Yi, a complex expression flashing in her eyes. “Ten years ago, Hongyu’s family suffered a tragedy, and Hongyu ended up on the streets, captured by human traffickers, and sold to the Jade Pavilion.”

"I see," Zheng Yi said, suddenly understanding. "Does the young lady want to redeem herself?"

“It’s not about redeeming myself,” Miss Hongyu shook her head. “Although I was sold here, the proprietress of Cuiyu Tower treats me very well, and I don’t want to leave. What I want is…revenge.”

"Revenge?" Zheng Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Whom do you want revenge against?"

"The person who killed Hongyu's entire family back then," Hongyu said. "That man was Qian Baiwan, the owner of 'Baiwan Trading Company,' the largest trading company in Qingyun City. Back then, in order to seize the Hongyu family's assets, he colluded with the government, falsely accusing Hongyu's father of treason, leading to the execution of Hongyu's entire family. Hongyu escaped because she wasn't home at the time." "Ten years have passed, and Hongyu has been waiting for her chance for revenge." A hint of hatred flashed in Hongyu's eyes. "But Qian Baiwan's power is too great; Hongyu, a weak woman, can't possibly touch him."

"So, young lady, you want me to help you kill Qian Baiwan?" Zheng Yi asked.

“Not to kill him,” Miss Hongyu shook her head. “Killing him would be too easy on him. What I want is to destroy him, to ruin his reputation, to destroy his family, and to make him taste the suffering I endured back then.”

"How do we destroy it?" Zheng Yi asked.

Hongyu took a roll of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Zheng Yi.

“This is the evidence Hongyu has collected over the years regarding Qian Baiwan’s crimes,” she said. “He smuggled contraband, colluded with bandits, and evaded taxes. Each of these crimes is enough to cost him his head.”

Zheng Yi took the roll of paper, looked at it carefully, and found that it did indeed record Qian Baiwan's crimes, and the evidence was conclusive.

"With this evidence, why not just report it to the authorities?" Zheng Yi asked.

“It’s no use,” Miss Hongyu said with a bitter smile. “Qian Baiwan has deep connections with the officials of Qingyun City, and many officials have accepted bribes from him. Reporting it to the authorities will only be suppressed and will alert the rest of the officials.”

"What does the girl want to do?" Zheng Yi asked.

"Hongyu wishes to ask Young Master Zhang to deliver this evidence to the Zhenbei Army," Miss Hongyu said. "The Zhenbei Army is the strongest army in the Tianyuan Domain and has no vested interests with the officials of Qingyun City. If they intervene, Qian Baiwan will surely die."

"The Zhenbei Army?" Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat.

He thought of Su Wanqing's cousin, Lin Zhengyang, the general of the Zhenbei Army.

"Is the Zhenbei Army's garrison far from Qingyun City?" Zheng Yi asked.

“Not far,” said Miss Hongyu. “The Zhenbei Army has a liaison office in Qingyun City, specifically responsible for receiving intelligence and reports from various places. Young Master Zhang only needs to send these pieces of evidence to the liaison office, and they will naturally send someone to investigate.”

"That simple?" Zheng Yi asked doubtfully.

“The matter itself is indeed simple, but the difficulty lies in how to get the evidence in,” said Miss Hongyu. “The Zhenbei Army’s liaison office is heavily guarded; outsiders simply cannot get in. Moreover, Qian Baiwan has informants within the liaison office, and if they discover anyone intending to report him, they will definitely find a way to stop it.”

"So, young lady, you need someone with high martial arts skills to help you secretly deliver the evidence to the liaison office?" Zheng Yi asked.

“That’s right.” Miss Hongyu nodded. “With Young Master Zhang’s abilities, he should be able to do it.”

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment.

While this task carries some risk, it's not too difficult. No matter how heavily guarded the Zhenbei Army's liaison office is, it's impossible for a Mahayana stage expert to be stationed there. With his strength, infiltrating to deliver a document shouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, if we can take this opportunity to establish a relationship with the Zhenbei Army, we might be able to get their help in the future.

“Okay, I agree,” Zheng Yi said, “but I have one condition.”

"What are the conditions?" Miss Hongyu asked.

“I need seven silver tokens, not iron tokens,” Zheng Yi said. “Furthermore, if I need Jade Pavilion’s help in gathering information in the future, you must cooperate to the best of your ability.”

Upon hearing this, Miss Hongyu frowned slightly.

The seven silver tokens were far more valuable than the black iron tokens. Moreover, agreeing to help gather information meant that he was essentially tied to Zheng Yi.

But she also knew that she would have to pay a price to get revenge.

“Alright, I promise you.” Miss Hongyu finally nodded. “As long as Young Master Zhang can help me get the evidence into the Zhenbei Army Liaison Office, I can provide seven silver tokens and intelligence support.”

“It’s a deal,” Zheng Yi said.

The two of them high-fived each other as an oath.

"Where is the liaison office of the Zhenbei Army?" Zheng Yi asked.

"In an alley in the east of the city, there's a sign that reads 'Zhenbei Trading Company,'" said Hongyu. "On the surface, it's a trading company, but in reality, it's an intelligence station for the Zhenbei Army."

"I understand," Zheng Yi nodded. "I'll go tonight."

"So fast?" Miss Hongyu was somewhat surprised.

"The longer we get to the point, the more things can go wrong. It's better to finish this quickly so we can have peace of mind," Zheng Yi said.

“Alright.” Miss Hongyu nodded. “Then Hongyu will await Young Master Zhang’s good news.”

Zheng Yi carefully put away the scroll of evidence, then got up to take his leave.

After leaving the Jade Pavilion, Zheng Yi found an inn in the city to stay in and wait for nightfall.

Although he had agreed to Hongyu's request, he wasn't entirely without suspicion. He needed to verify for himself how credible Hongyu's words were.

Before it got dark, Zheng Yi inquired about Qian Baiwan and Baiwan Trading Company in the city.

As expected, Qian Baiwan was indeed a notorious wealthy merchant in Qingyun City, and with a terrible reputation. Many people knew he was ruthless and heartless, but because of his deep connections with the government, no one dared to mess with him.

Zheng Yi also found out some things about Hongyu's family.

Ten years ago, there was indeed a merchant family called the "Yun Family" in Qingyun City. They were executed and their property confiscated for treason. However, many people say that the Yun Family did not commit treason at all and were framed. And the person who framed them was none other than Qian Baiwan.

"It seems that what Miss Hongyu said is true," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

Night falls.

Zheng Yi changed into a black night outfit, quietly left the inn, and sneaked towards the east of the city.

The Zhenbei Army's liaison office was located in a secluded alley in the east of the city. Just as the girl Hongyu had said, a sign reading "Zhenbei Trading Company" hung at the entrance, making it look like an ordinary shop.

However, Zheng Yi's divine sense revealed that the "shop" was heavily guarded. There were more than a dozen cultivators on duty inside, including two experts at the early stage of the Integration Realm.

"He's definitely not simple," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

He didn't rush in, but instead observed the surroundings, looking for a route to sneak in.

The liaison office's walls were very high, covered with numerous restrictions. The main gate was guarded, and the back gate was patrolled. Sneaking in unnoticed would indeed be quite difficult.

"We have no choice but to force our way through," Zheng Yi silently resolved.

He used the laws of space and time to conceal his figure within the cracks of space and time. This was a supernatural power he had recently comprehended, allowing him to temporarily "disappear" and evade the perception of ordinary people.

He silently scaled the courtyard wall and landed in the liaison office's courtyard.

There were several patrolling cultivators in the courtyard, but none of them noticed Zheng Yi's presence.

Zheng Yi crept along the base of the wall, making his way towards the main hall.

According to Red Rain's information, the liaison office has a mailbox specifically for receiving whistleblower reports, located right at the entrance of the main hall. He only needs to put the evidence into that mailbox, and his mission will be complete.

Upon arriving near the main hall, Zheng Yi saw the mailbox.

It was an iron box with the insignia of the Zhenbei Army engraved on it, and two guards stood beside it.

"This is a bit troublesome," Zheng Yi thought to himself. (End of Chapter)