Chapter 38 The secret behind Meng Ruolang
Bi Yuntao looked helplessly as the lady official in front of him kept talking about palace etiquette. Since the last time she returned to the palace from her own mansion, her mother-in-law had photographed a lady official and taught her etiquette.
The lady official has been talking for more than an hour. Really, school is nothing more than that.
"Brother!" Bi Yuntao looked happy when he heard the voice, finally seeing the savior!
Meng Rulang strode over, ignoring the ladies on the side, and winked at Bi Yuntao, "Brother, how was yesterday?"
Bi Yuntao blinked several times quickly at Meng Ruolang, "Ahem! Ruolang, be careful what you say. You should bow first and salute."
Meng Ruolang's head was covered with black lines, "Brother, why are the dark circles under your eyes so big? Could it be that you had two girls together last night, which caused you to lose all your yang?!"
Before Bi Yuntao had time to speak, the lady official beside him spoke. "Mr. Meng, please be careful what you say. I am respecting the emperor's imperial concubine's order and teaching King Qi court etiquette."
"Haha! Who do you think you are? Only you, a slave, can interrupt me when I'm talking to Prince Qi?!" Meng Ruolang's face was full of displeasure when he saw that he was interrupted by a servant.
"You! Mr. Meng, please be respectful. I have been ordered by the Imperial Concubine to teach King Qi court etiquette. If you are so presumptuous, I will go to the Imperial Concubine to accuse you of being disrespectful." The lady official pointed angrily at Meng Ruolang, her face flushed and her whole body trembling.
Meng Ruolang looked disdainful, "Then go ahead! I want to see if the imperial concubine offended me for you, or punished you for the crime of disrespect?!"
"Then I have to ask Mr. Meng to tell me how disrespectful this servant is?!"
"Hahaha! You are the only one who teaches King Qi court etiquette?! If you want to say disrespectful, then let me explain it to you in detail."
"This is one of the reasons why you don't take the initiative to salute when you see me. The masters are talking to each other. If there is no important matter, you can't disturb them. This is the second. And the third is..." Meng Ruolang paused, and her tone was slightly cold. , "Have you ever seen that slave dare to point at his master's nose and talk?!"
The lady official was speechless for a moment when Meng Ruolang spoke to her, her face turned red and her whole body trembled.
Bi Yuntao saw that the heat was almost over and he had seen enough good shows. It was time to step out and make a difference. "Okay, Ruo Lang, it depends on the owner to beat the dog. After all, she was sent here by the mother-in-law, so you still have to be patient."
After saying that, he bowed to Meng Ruolang and apologized, "Ruolang, don't be as knowledgeable as a dog slave like her, it will easily lower your status. I will send someone to report to the mother-in-law and ask her to properly discipline this dog slave. If this continues, sooner or later she will give birth to a child." Disaster."
"And you, this dog slave, usually do mischief in the palace because of your mother and concubine. That's all. But when you come outside the palace, you are so arrogant and domineering. Why don't you apologize to Mr. Meng?!"
The lady official was so angry that Bi Yuntao opened her mouth like a dog slave, and then shut up like a dog slave, and her breathing became rapid. Then when she heard that she was being asked to apologize, she was so angry that she spit out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Bi Yuntao and Meng Ruolang looked at each other in confusion, "This dog slave is quite angry! She passed out just like that. It was really easy for her. She tortured me for more than an hour."
"By the way, Ruolang, follow me to the study, I have something to tell you!"
…
In the study room, Bi Yuntao looked at Meng Ruolang, who was drinking tea opposite, with great excitement.
"Ruolang, what you are playing is your real wave! The gift you prepared is really big!" Bi Yuntao became angry when he saw Meng Ruolang drinking tea.
"Yeah, I guess yesterday must have been... wonderful!" Meng Ruolang raised her eyebrows and showed a smile that could only be understood but could not be expressed in words.
"Pah!" Bi Yuntao looked at the smile on Meng Ruolang's face and shuddered while holding the folding fan, "What a fart! I almost got killed by you, but now I'm fine, Sister Xue won't pay attention to me anymore!"
Meng Rulang was in pain, but was still a little surprised by Bi Yuntao's words, "How could it be possible? Shouldn't he have died in a drunken fairy dream?!"
"It's not all because of you. Next time you do something like this, can you use more drugs? Sister Xue woke up as soon as I entered the house. My mother and concubine were also in the house last night. You almost had to do it." You can meet me at the cemetery.”
"Uh..." Meng Ruolang was at a loss for words, her eyes evasive, "Then I'm going to get the gift tonight, and I'll definitely get enough of the drug this time."
Hearing that Meng Ruolang was going to go tonight, he hurriedly stopped Meng Ruolang. "No! Ruo Lang, I'm begging you as a brother. I don't ask you to do this kind of thing again. I just coaxed Sister Xue this morning. There was still a glimmer of hope for you tonight. If I go any further, I will really be dead."
"Okay, let's leave it like this! Yesterday, we won a lot of money in the gambling house, and we just happened to split it up." With that, he took out the package containing the silver from the storage ring.
When Meng Ruolang heard that the spoils were going to be divided, her eyes, which were a little sad at first, suddenly lit up, "Okay! Then big brother, how do we divide it?"
"These silver taels are almost 400,000 taels, just right, 50-50, 200,000 taels per person, and the rest of the jade pendants and gems, you're welcome as a brother, I want them all." The package was spread out, and it was all silver. Bright silver, and jade pendants and precious stones.
When Meng Ruolang saw how generous his eldest brother was, he hurriedly excused himself, "Brother, you basically won all of this. I will do it as soon as I can, and once I do, it will be enough for me to play for a long time. Besides, I see that eldest brother's money has been tight. You only have fifty taels of silver, so I guess the imperial concubine deliberately reduced your salary."
"Hey! Without you taking me to the gambling house, how could such a good thing happen?! You have no merit and still have to work hard." Bi Yuntao advised.
"Okay, but 50% is still too much, I'll take 20%." Meng Rulang saw that Bi Yuntao was still refusing, and quickly said again: "Brother, if you don't agree, you are looking down on me. We We will be strangers from now on.”
"Um..." Looking at Meng Ruolang, who looked serious, he said helplessly: "Okay, brother, I won't be pretentious, and I will give you 20%."
After the two of them divided the spoils, Meng Ruolang said, "Brother, since we all have money in our hands, why don't we go have some fun?"
"Fun? What kind of fun? Could it be..." Bi Yuntao was a little confused when he heard this, but when he saw the obscene smile on Meng Ruolang's face, he immediately understood.
"Yes! Are you going? There happens to be a flower boat today. I heard from my servant that the oiran from Jinling City is here to help." When Meng Ruolang, the oiran, was mentioned, the lewd expression on his face became even worse. Even Bi Yuntao saw the corner of his mouth. A hint of sparkling liquid.
"As for that? Isn't he just a courtesan? There are so many beauties in the capital. How good-looking can someone from a small city be?" Bi Yuntao expressed disdain. No matter how good-looking a brothel girl is, what can she do? There are so many tricks in this world. How many Li Shishi and how many Liang Hongyu are there? !
"Hi! Jinling is not a small city, second only to the capital. And brother, you don't understand. Jinling City has been rich in beauties since ancient times. Have you heard of the Thirteen Hairpins of Jinling? They came from Jinling City in the previous dynasty, although in the end they were all They are relatively miserable, but they are all genuine beauties." Meng Rulang quickly explained when she saw her elder brother's disdainful look. "Let's just talk about this oiran who is helping out. I heard that she is one of the top beauties in Jinling City. Anyone she wants to meet will spend a lot of money. Moreover, it is said that she is also a poor man who likes poetry and singing. If you want to meet someone, you don't have to be rich. , you must have real talent and learning, and you must beat her in any one of the poems, lyrics, and songs.”
"Tch! Qing Guan is just a showman and not a prostitute, but the money is not enough. If she spends tens of millions of taels of silver, I don't believe that she doesn't open her legs?!" Bi Yuntao was even more disdainful. When he was undercover in the past, It's not like I've never seen someone who is doing business without selling his body. As a result, the man threw money at him and made the person faint. He didn't do it happily.
"Um..." Meng Ruolang scratched his head, and felt that what his elder brother said seemed to make sense. There were tens of millions of taels of silver, and the tax revenue of a rich people like Jinling could only be so much, and the national treasury only had tens of millions of taels of silver.
"Brother is indeed right, but what kind of appearance does a woman need to be worthy of a man with a million taels of silver? In my opinion, the most is only a million taels of silver."
Bi Yuntao glanced at him suspiciously, "One million taels of silver is a lot. Are all the people in Jinling so rich?"
"Brother, you don't know that there are more merchants in Jinling, and there are even several imperial merchants there, so most of the people there are relatively wealthy."
"Oh? Why are there so many business people over there?" Bi Yuntao felt that the question he asked was a bit stupid, and quickly added again: "Brother, I rarely go out for long distances, so I don't cause much trouble."
Meng Ruolang took a sip of tea and said calmly: "Jinling is close to the Yangtze River and has developed transportation. It only takes a few days to travel from Jinling to the capital by water. Most of the local products are silk and cloth. Of course, there are also tea horses. Most of the official salt we eat comes from Jinling, and there is even a silver foundry there. As far as I know, there are two royal merchants there, one is official salt, and the last one is naturally the silver foundry."
"Why do you know so much detail? Have you been to Jinling? I remember the Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the Imperial Merchant!"
"Hi! I haven't been there either. My master told me this. My master is from Jinling City."
"Um...your master? I've wanted to ask you why you know martial arts and are so good at it. And you seem to know everything. Ever since your sister's incident, you seem to have always trusted me. "Bi Yuntao finally asked the doubts he had always had in his heart.
Meng Ruolang threw open the folding fan with a "pop" sound, smiled without saying a word, and signaled Bi Yuntao with his eyes to pour tea for him.
Bi Yuntao had no choice but to get up and pour tea for him himself. "Can you say it now?!"
"Hmph! Really want to know?"
"It's not over, isn't it?!"
"Hey, I have been learning martial arts from my master since I was a child. I have only returned home in the past few years. As for why I have always trusted my eldest brother so much..." Meng Ruolang closed the folding fan with a "pop", "Let's listen to the explanation next time. …”
"Fuck you!" As soon as he finished speaking, Bi Yuntao raised his big foot and kicked him over.
Meng Ruolang turned slightly, turned around, and said with a smile: "I can't tell you now, but you will know then. Maybe you can see my master by then. Let me tell you, my master is a big man." Beauty, every time my master comes to my house, my mother is always on guard against thieves."
When Bi Yuntao heard the beauty, he withdrew the foot he was about to kick out. He looked at Meng Ruolang with a red face and green eyes, "How beautiful is she? Is she as beautiful as your sister?"
"Uh... I don't know..." Meng Ruolang was a little embarrassed when her elder brother asked this. Although he had learned martial arts from his master since he was a child, he had never seen his master's true face.
"Fuck you!" Bi Yuntao grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it. I am really angry! Why didn't this bastard realize that he was so appetizing?
"Hey, hey, hey! Brother, please listen to my explanation. I really have never seen Master's true face!" Meng Ruolang hurriedly dodged and explained quickly.
"Are you lying?! You have been learning martial arts with your master since you were a child. If you say you have never seen it before, who will believe it?!" Yin Luo grabbed a teacup again and raised his hand to throw it at Meng Ruolang.
"Brother, please put it down first and listen to my explanation. Why did I lie to you when I had nothing to do?!"
Bi Yuntao thought for a while, put down the tea cup in his hand, sat down, crossed his legs, looked at Meng Ruolang with a scrutinizing gaze, and said through gritted teeth: "Then I want to see how you explain it!"
"Hehehehe! I really have never seen Master's true face. Master always wears a veil, and only comes back occasionally to check my martial arts progress. Even when he doesn't go out, he wears a veil. I even asked specifically Regarding Master’s question, she said it’s not yet time.”
"Then how do you know that your master is a beauty? Maybe he is ugly?!" Bi Yuntao looked a little unhappy. Who can accept this explanation?
Meng Ruolang was a little unhappy when he heard this, his playful smile softened a bit, and his tone became a little more serious, "Brother, although you are my beloved eldest brother, you can't slander my master like this!"
Bi Yuntao also realized that he had said something wrong and hurriedly apologized: "I'm sorry, I apologize, it was my unchosen words." Seeing that Meng Ruolang's expression softened a little, he asked again: "I did not restrain my words, but How can you tell that your master is a great beauty? You have never seen your master’s true appearance!”
"Hehehe, she must be a big beauty. I was naughty when I was a child. Once my master was injured. I ran to take a peek and saw the master's profile. But as soon as I lifted the veil a little, I was discovered by the master and was punished to copy the rules. Three hundred times. But my sister’s cold personality is what I learned from my master, and my master’s figure is...protruding forward and backward."
"So, Ruoxi has seen your master's true face?" Bi Yuntao was a little surprised. This cold master actually punished Meng Ruolang to copy the sect rules three hundred times. This is child abuse. Unexpectedly, Meng Ruoxi's cold and aloof personality was taught by Master Meng Ruolang.
"Well...it doesn't seem to be the case. Although the master dotes on my sister, and my sister also asked the master why she always wears a veil, the master only said that measuring a woman's beauty is not only about her appearance, but also her temperament and character, so my sister followed the master's example. His cold personality." He curled his lips as he said this, with a hint of vinegar in his words. "Master is biased. Even though my sister and I are both her apprentices, he only gets close to her. He only teaches me many things. Instead, he only teaches me martial arts."
"Hmph! You're not as lustful as I am. In the past few years, you've visited all the brothels and flower boats!" Bi Yuntao rolled his eyes.
"Hey, hey, brother, are you interested in checking out the courtesan you just mentioned?" Meng Ruolang winked again.
"It's okay to go and have a look, but our combined wealth is probably enough to see the true face of the oiran." Bi Yuntao was a little depressed. He thought he had received a huge sum of money, but who would have thought that he was still poor. Even the nouveau riche It doesn’t even count.
When Meng Ruolang heard this, she was also a little frustrated and regretful, "That's true, why don't you go?" It's really a tangle of wanting to go but not wanting to go!
"Go, I must go, just in time to see that poor man who needs a million taels of silver to meet him!"
(During the Song Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty’s tax revenue was as high as 160 million silver. In the Southern Song Dynasty, when the territory shrank significantly, the tax revenue was no less than 100 million silver.)
