Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In the following days, Jia Lian became even busier.

In addition to the large amount of property confiscated from the Zhao and Wang families that needed to be sold and registered, the homes of officials convicted of crimes, such as Wu Zhirong, in the prefectural government and the salt administration system, also needed to be searched and confiscated.

Just as Jia Lian had predicted, each of the officials he ordered to be arrested was quite wealthy.

Although it cannot compare to the great salt merchants, if word gets out, it will still leave many officials across the country speechless.

This forced Jia Lian to consider how to report the matter!

Reporting too much could easily cause unrest in the court and among the people. After all, most officials in the capital only earn one or two hundred taels of silver a year, plus some benefits. Only a few are truly making money off the system. This is why those ministers like to extend their reach to the local areas.

Once they realize that a few years in a local post can earn them more money than they could earn in several lifetimes or even dozens of lifetimes, not to mention public resentment, many officials will likely be tempted to go to a local post to make a quick buck.

This would be detrimental to both the imperial court and the nation. After all, as far as Jia Lian knew, there were other lucrative businesses in the country that could rival the Yangzhou salt administration.

For example, the major textile manufacturing bureaus in Jiangnan, and the Grand Canal.

If all the officials in the court want to go to these places, it will cause unrest among the people, which is not good.

But what if the amount of silver is underreported? Surely it can't be returned to the people whose homes he confiscated?

Keeping it in your own hands? That's not a good idea either.

It makes it seem as if he maliciously accepted kickbacks from the emperor, making him a corrupt official, which greatly undermines the righteousness of his trip.

He wasn't too bothered by it. Silver is a valuable thing, and it only becomes a hot potato in the hands of a fool who doesn't know how to use it. As for him, this silver will only become the building material for the ladder he uses to climb to the top.

In addition to sorting out his wealth, Jia Lian also needed to continue his detailed investigation into the sharp decline in Yangzhou's salt tax revenue over the past two years.

After all, he still had to write an "investigation report." Emperor Ningkang might only care about the result, but this detailed report on the conclusion of the case was for all the ministers in the court to see, so that he wouldn't be speechless when they came to cause him trouble later.

During this time, they inevitably raided the Feng family, a small salt merchant family. Although they were called small salt merchants in comparison to the large salt merchants, in reality, in terms of the scale of their business and the wealth of their family, they were in no way smaller than those established merchant families.

The reason for the raid was mainly because the Feng family had a terrible reputation in Jiangnan. There were several murder cases on file in the Yangzhou government's records alone. Through Zou Tong and others, it was learned that almost all of these were wrongful convictions deliberately covered up by Wu Zhirong and others.

In this era, wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice were countless, and Jia Lian had seen and heard of many such cases. But this one, falling into his hands, was naturally unforgivable. Those who deserved confiscation were confiscated, and those who deserved execution were killed, showing no mercy whatsoever.

This made the salt merchants tense again. Only after seeing the reason given by Jia Lian did they breathe a sigh of relief.

As a result, the remaining twenty-odd salt merchants in Yangzhou City all urgently formulated and promulgated their family rules, strictly forbidding their family members, servants, and employees from committing any crimes or acting tyrannically.

If the salt merchants, who controlled half of Yangzhou, acted this way, other families naturally followed suit immediately, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Even ordinary people, seeing the once-empty Caishikou (marketplace) being used for killings every day, and the victims being prominent figures from Yangzhou, knew perfectly well that it was because an imperial envoy had come to Yangzhou.

The common people applauded, and some who had been wronged were still considering how to see Jia Lian and ask the imperial envoy to help them.

Even those with malicious intentions secretly abandoned their plans under such an atmosphere.

For a time, the security situation in Yangzhou was better than ever before. Everyone who noticed this change could quickly find the reason: Jia Lian's reputation in Jiangnan was already astonishing, and this incident naturally gave him another boost in fame.

Jia Lian paid little attention to these minor perspectives. Three days after the Wang family's property was confiscated, the salt merchants came to invite him to a banquet as promised.

However, it was not Zhou Boru and others who came to invite them personally.

"Pan'er greets Your Excellency. It has been several days since I last saw you, and you have become even more majestic and extraordinary."

"Why is it you?"

"Master Zhou and the others know that you are busy with official duties and are worried that you might forget about the banquet tonight, so they specially asked Pan'er to come and invite you to the banquet at Wangjiang Tower."

Shen Pan'er smiled faintly, stepped forward and bowed again, "My lord, please."

Looking at Shen Pan'er, who was dressed in an apricot-yellow dress, graceful and beautiful beyond compare, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled.

These salt merchants were quite adept at understanding people's hearts. Having a beautiful woman invite them was indeed more sincere than having them come in person.

Seeing her pointing at the fine horse and carriage with her delicate hand, looking at him expectantly, Jia Lian thought for a moment and was happy to give her face, so he stepped forward and got into her carriage.

Sure enough, the beauty's carriage smelled wonderful, like jasmine and the fragrance of sandalwood.

Before the beauty entered, Jia Lian carefully examined the decorations inside the carriage, and roughly made a judgment about the style and preferences of this young lady, Pan'er.

It's not exactly elegant, but it's certainly not vulgar.

He sat down in the main seat and watched the beautiful woman who was also bending over as she entered.

She still had a hint of joy on her face, perhaps because Jia Lian was willing to give up his luxurious car and ride in hers.

Moreover, she was dressed elegantly, in a lady's dress that did not conform to the style of a well-bred lady, slightly revealing her shoulders. With her looks, she was already alluring, not to mention that when she bent over to enter, the two layers of fabric at her chest hung low, and from Jia Lian's perspective, it was easy to catch a glimpse of some stunning scenery.

"My lord, you~~"

Upon discovering that her private parts had been exposed, Shen Pan'er belatedly covered her chest with her hand, her pretty face flushed as she glared at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian gave him a blank look, and seeing that he couldn't see anything, he shifted his gaze to the beauty's face.

This made the beauty feel a little embarrassed.

Sitting on the stool to the side, Shen Pan'er noticed Jia Lian staring at her. Finally, she couldn't help but look up. "What are you looking at, sir? Is there something wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. Miss Pan'er is very beautiful, and I like her very much, so I took a second look."

"You're lying..."

Perhaps because it was a change of scenery, the woman seemed more at ease with such praise, and even deliberately laughed and said, "If you really liked Pan'er, you wouldn't have kicked her out of the camp that night."

Jia Lian did not respond to these remarks.

Shen Pan'er glanced at Jia Lian and laughed, "I heard that these days, Your Excellency has confiscated the property of many salt merchants and even beheaded many of the offending salt merchants..."

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow. "Miss Pan'er is also concerned about such things?"

"Hehehe, I don't care about these things. However, the other sisters in the brothel, as well as the sisters from other famous brothels, are all very concerned about you, sir. They are all very happy and excited to know that you have come to Yangzhou."

They also heard that I had performed at Your Excellency's residence, so they all came to Pan'er to inquire about Your Excellency's whereabouts.

Yangzhou is one of the most prosperous prefectures in the entire Jiangnan region; otherwise, she, a renowned figure from the Southern Music Bureau, wouldn't have been assigned there. Moreover, the fact that the Southern Music Bureau willingly relinquished her position simply because the salt merchants chose her to curry favor with Jia Lian demonstrates the immense power of the salt merchants in Jiangnan.

But these powerful salt merchants, who could practically rule Yangzhou, were like dough in Jia Lian's hands, easily manipulated and killed at will. Not only did they dare not resist, but they could only turn around and fawn over him.

This naturally shocked her, a courtesan from Jiangnan who prided herself on having seen many important figures.

Looking at Jia Lian's demeanor, his nonchalant reaction of killing a few salt merchants as if killing a few chickens only impressed her more.

This must be the power and magnanimity of a truly great person, capable of turning one's hand to make clouds or rain.

Thinking about it, her gaze toward Jia Lian became more cautious, more eager, and a little resentful.

Faced with such a beautiful woman, Jia Lian coughed lightly and suddenly asked, "By the way, has Miss Pan'er been staying at the brothel these past few days? Have those salt merchants given you any trouble?"

It was only later that Jia Lian realized that since the salt merchants were preparing to give Shen Pan'er to him, they must have already redeemed her from her servitude.

If he had accepted her, it would have been fine, but he didn't, so the question of who would belong to Shen Pan'er has arisen. A courtesan of such high caliber, carefully cultivated by the brothel, is valuable in herself, and with proper packaging, the profits she could bring to the entertainment industry would be immeasurable.

Such a treasure would not be overlooked by either the music academy or the salt merchants.

"Hehehe, does Your Excellency really want those salt merchants to make things difficult for Pan'er?"

Shen Pan'er looked at Jia Lian with a grin.

"But rest assured, sir. Since those salt merchants redeemed me from the brothel and are preparing to offer me to you, it means that I am already yours. On that day, I even brought my own deed, ready to serve you at your side."

Who knew the adults would be so heartless as to kick Pan'er out?

However, Pan'er still has to thank you, sir. Now that my registration is with me, I am considered free. But since I have no relatives or friends and nowhere else to go, I can only return to the brothel to settle down.

Shen Pan'er spoke lightly, as if she were truly free to go wherever she wanted. In reality, if she hadn't been cautious and insisted on being Jia Lian's woman after leaving the camp that day, it's uncertain whether she would still have her marriage certificate.

Nowadays, the music academy treats her as a guest, and the salt merchants either don't have the energy or dare not offend her. Even today's arrangements are made with her being politely invited to come and help.

This made Shen Pan'er feel even more that it was good to have a big tree to lean on.

Shen Pan'er deliberately spoke in a pitiful tone, hoping to provoke Jia Lian's protective instincts. However, Jia Lian only replied, "That's very good."

Shen Pan'er pursed her lips, looking quite unhappy, but only for a short while, she leaned closer to Jia Lian and said mysteriously, "Those salt merchants really went to great lengths to please you today, sir."

Hehe, there's a surprise waiting for you, sir...

Seeing the sly look in her eyes as she spoke, Jia Lian couldn't help but smile. He raised his hand to brush a strand of hair from her forehead and looked at her cheek, laughing, "A surprise? Isn't Miss Pan'er the biggest surprise?"

Shen Pan'er tried every means to seduce Jia Lian, but when Jia Lian actually made a move, she was still startled. She shrank back, realizing she shouldn't have, and her face turned red. She said somewhat embarrassedly, "This servant is hardly surprised..."

With a complicated expression, he seemed about to say something, but upon noticing the location for changing ships, he immediately said, "In short, you certainly won't be disappointed tonight, sir."

After saying this, he asked Jia Lian to get off the carriage.

Jia Lian thought they had arrived at their destination, but when he got off, he found it was just a small dock.

As dusk fell, numerous boats of varying sizes bobbed on the not-so-wide river. Many of these boats, adorned with colorful lanterns and flower baskets, were already bustling with entertainers and dancers, a scene clearly characteristic of the Jiangnan region—the brothel industry that thrives on the river.

"Wangjiang Tower is located in the northern part of the city. It only takes about fifteen minutes to get there by boat. You can take this time to enjoy the scenery of this little Qinhuai River in Yangzhou and relax."

Before him stood a lavishly decorated two-story ship, with several small boats waiting nearby, clearly intended for the extra guards around Jia Lian.

Since the other party had gone to such lengths, Jia Lian gave them face and only took Zhang Yong and a dozen or so people onto the Fujian ship, while the others followed in small boats.

Just as the boat set sail, the sound of a flute was heard coming from outside.

The sound was melodious and far-reaching, and when it reached my ears, it was very serene, like the ripples on the water caused by the willow branches in early spring.

Jia Lian, who had just stepped onto the second floor, stopped and turned around. He saw a small, exquisitely decorated boat sailing on the river not far away.

A graceful woman stands serenely at the bow of the boat, surrounded by bamboo fences and colorful lights.

The woman was dressed in white, her face partially covered by a thin veil. She held a jade flute in her hands in front of the veil, from which the melodious sound of the flute came.

Although her face cannot be clearly seen at a glance because of the veil, it is not difficult to guess that she is a rare beauty just by the posture and demeanor revealed by her playing the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute).

On the small deck behind her, two scantily clad beauties danced silently to the accompaniment of her flute music. Strangely enough, those two dancing beauties were clearly of superior figure and appearance; if they had appeared alone at the grand event, they would likely have been pursued by countless romantic and talented men.

But at this moment, beneath the figure of the woman playing the flute, the two dancing beauties appeared rather indifferent.

Given the timing, location, and manner of her appearance, it's not hard to guess that the woman at the bow of the boat must be a famous courtesan, and one with considerable renown.

The Little Qinhuai River is not very wide, and the sudden appearance of this woman naturally attracted a crowd of people from the surrounding area who were out seeking pleasure, all speculating about her identity.

"With such a figure, such an air of elegance, and such mastery of the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute), could it be that the young lady in green has come to Yangzhou?"

"How could that be? What kind of status does the girl in green have? She is a beauty who has won the title of the most beautiful courtesan in Jiangnan for two consecutive years. It is rumored that she is determined to win this year's courtesan competition. If that's the case, the girl in green will be the most beautiful courtesan in Jiangnan for three consecutive years."

This is extremely rare in the history of the courtesan competition. Compared to her, all the other courtesans in Jiangnan pale in comparison! I've heard that even when the prefects of various prefectures hold literary gatherings and want to invite the girl in green to perform, she might not necessarily agree.

"Don't you think that, given the status of that young lady in green, if she were to arrive in Yangzhou, the entire city would be in an uproar. How could she possibly let us listen to her play a tune on the flute for free on such a small boat?"

"That's right. Rumor has it that if you want to hear a girl in green play the flute, you have to prepare at least five hundred gold coins. If this really is a girl in green, then we've really hit the jackpot today."

"I know it's unlikely, but it really does seem like it. Tell me, besides the girl in green, who else in the world could possess such superb skill in playing the xiao (vertical flute)? I'm certain that there isn't a courtesan like her in Yangzhou..."

"..."

An excited voice suddenly rang out: "It really does look like the girl in green! Look, isn't that Xiaoxiao, the top courtesan of Yichun Courtyard in Yangzhou? Xiaoxiao is a very famous courtesan in Yangzhou. Who else could she possibly deign to dance with but the girl in green?"

"Yes, yes, now that you mention it, that other beautiful dancer seems to be Miss Wei Shishi from Suzhou... I saw her at last year's Flower Queen Competition... Good heavens, I must be seeing things. How could there be three Flower Queens on this little flower boat at the same time, performing for us for free..."

The conversations of the scholars and Confucianists, carried by the sound of the flute and the spring breeze, reached Jia Lian's ears.

Another top courtesan? This is the second time Jia Lian has heard this title. The first time was when Jiang Yun, whom he had given to Zhao'er, was said to have received this honor.

Although Jiang Yun was undeniably beautiful, she was already married and approaching thirty, her youth fading. Therefore, Jia Lian never truly experienced the full charm of this top courtesan.

Hearing the surrounding chatter and seeing the woman playing the flute, her face half-covered yet already stirring the imagination, Jia Lian believed that only someone with such a figure and temperament deserved the title of the most beautiful courtesan.

For a fleeting moment, Jia Lian even considered ordering the boat to rush over and force the woman to remove her veil so he could see her true face, but he ultimately restrained himself. Putting aside whether doing such a thing would be a huge eyesore, the pleasure boats and the scholars and Confucianists along the riverbanks would surely turn into protectors of the flowers, mercilessly crushing him.

When faced with angry fans, no matter what his identity is, it won't matter, and he, as the imperial envoy, will definitely lose face.

Moreover, Jia Lian also caught a glimpse of Shen Pan'er's scrutinizing gaze, which seemed to be both smiling and not smiling. He realized that if the woman was indeed the most famous courtesan, and her sudden appearance here was probably the surprise that the salt merchants had prepared for him, as Shen Pan'er had mentioned.

Since the top courtesan is sought after by thousands, she is naturally precious, but there is no doubt that the salt merchants have the power to control her!

The flower boat carrying the beauties traveled quite fast and soon passed the Fujian boat, and the sound of the flute stopped.

Many people shouted across the river for another song, but received no response. Nevertheless, many young noblemen ordered their own pleasure boats to chase after the other party with all their might.

This scene, where a beautiful woman's song evokes responses and admiration from all directions, is a common sight in the Jiangnan region...