Zhong Li, dressed in a brightly colored jacket and with her hair styled in a side bun, stood before the table, looking at the man opposite her clad in a blue official robe. From the insignia on his attire, she had already discerned his rank.
"Your humble servant, Feng Jin, greets Your Lordship?"
Cao Shao, the magistrate of Yu County, hearing the slightly affected voice from across the table, raised his eyes to look at Zhong Li, his brow furrowing slightly. "What did you say your name was?"
"Feng Jin," Zhong Li said, a smile gracing her lips as she repeated it.
Cao Shao narrowed his eyes and casually placed a portrait on the table. "She looks somewhat like you, but not entirely."
Zhong Li glanced at the portrait on the table. It depicted her, yet the aura...
She lowered her gaze to her current attire. She was dressed only slightly more than Tian Lianxue from Hua Man Lou. Moreover, with the heavy makeup she wore for this outing, Tang Yuanhua likely wouldn't recognize her.
As expected, Cao Shao said, "She looks like the image, but not the spirit..."
"May I ask Your Lordship, who is this woman in the painting that bears a slight resemblance to me?" Zhong Li inquired, boldly leaning closer to Cao Shao.
Unprepared for such a forward move, Cao Shao stiffened and instinctively leaned back. "She is a wanted criminal by the court."
"A wanted criminal?" Zhong Li heard this and, when Cao Shao wasn't paying attention, shot him a sideways glance. Then, feigning fear, she said, "Oh dear, what is to be done? If I bear some resemblance to her, might I be mistakenly arrested?"
"How could that be?" Before Cao Shao could reply, a man standing beside him spoke up.
Zhong Li turned her head at the sound of his voice. The man was also in official attire, appearing slightly younger than Cao Shao, around thirty years old. He had a clean, handsome face, which would likely qualify him as a distinguished gentleman in Yu County.
"How so?" Zhong Li asked, smiling sweetly at the man, her delicate eyebrows arching as a soft, high-pitched voice emerged from her throat.
The man picked up the painting and compared it to Zhong Li. "The woman in the painting has an elegant face, a stern and sharp gaze, and an ethereal aura. As for you..."
He let out a cold laugh. "You're only slightly better than those in the pleasure houses."
Hearing this, Zhong Li inwardly rolled her eyes countless times, but her smile remained. "If that is the case, then the person Your Lordship is looking for cannot be me. As I am still unwell, I beg your pardon for not staying longer."
With that, she turned and prepared to ascend to the second floor.
"Wait!" the man's voice rang out just as her foot touched the first step of the staircase.
Zhong Li paused, her expression turning serious.
The man, with his hands clasped behind his back, walked step by step behind Zhong Li and casually placed his hand on her shoulder.
Zhong Li closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to break the man's hand. When she turned back, she offered a radiant smile and slapped away the man's arm. "What is it Your Lordship wishes to do? Speak plainly. It is not good to be so familiar with one's hands."
The man narrowed his eyes, gazing at Zhong Li. "She truly looks alike."
"What's so strange about that? Everyone in this world has one nose and two eyes. Put enough faces together, and there will always be coincidences," Zhong Li explained with a smile.
The man stared into her eyes for a long moment, confirming she wasn't avoiding his gaze. Then he said, "I am Tang Yuanhua, the magistrate of Yu County town. May I ask, madam, is there anyone else on this floor?"
Zhong Li's hand, hidden in her sleeve, stiffened. Just as she was about to answer, the waiter who had been standing by chimed in, "Yes, there are two. One is Madam Feng's husband, and the old man is likely the groom."
"Oh? Two men and one woman?" Tang Yuanhua said, slowly pulling out two more portraits from his embrace and unfolding them before Zhong Li.
Zhong Li glanced at them. As she had anticipated, one was Lu Wuxie, and the other was Lin Jin.
"May I ask, madam, do you recognize these two people?" Tang Yuanhua inquired.
Zhong Li's hand clenched tightly as she scrutinized the paintings. "No, I don't recognize them. I've never seen them."
"Is that so?" Tang Yuanhua asked again.
"Yes!" Zhong Li nodded in confirmation, then added, "What? Does Your Lordship not believe me?"
Tang Yuanhua watched her intently, ensuring her gaze was steady and free of any suspicion. He then turned to look at Cao Shao.
Cao Shao stood up and, leading the men behind him, said, "Since that is the case, let us depart."
Tang Yuanhua nodded, put away the portraits, and followed behind Cao Shao.
Seeing them leave, Zhong Li let out a soft sigh and, gripping the banister, ascended the stairs to the second floor.
"Madam Feng!" a voice called from behind her.
Zhong Li's steps faltered. She quickly regained her composure and turned to see Tang Yuanhua, who had appeared on the stairs below.
"Magistrate Tang, what is this..."
Tang Yuanhua smiled. "For the sake of caution, I still believe it's best to follow Madam upstairs and confirm."
He gestured with the rolled-up portraits in his hand.
Zhong Li swallowed. She looked at the man's seemingly harmless expression and said, "Your Lordship, please."
Tang Yuanhua sat at the table, looking through the screen at the man on the bed who was coughing continuously. "It seems Young Master Wang's health is indeed not good."
Zhong Li nodded, a hint of melancholy on her face. "My husband's health was always good before. It's only in recent years, after taking up maritime business in Jinzhou, constantly exposed to the elements. And then, with the recent troubles involving the Beichuan Gang, he contracted a fever, a headache, and his body simply gave out. Many physicians have been consulted without success. I heard that Yu County has a divine maiden sect, and the medicine pills distributed by the divine maiden can cure all ailments, which is why we have come here seeking a cure."
Tang Yuanhua held his teacup and listened to Zhong Li's chatter, his gaze fixed on Lu Wuxie. "Young Master Wang, is what your wife says true?"
"Replying to Your Lordship, it is so!" a hoarse voice came from the bed. Lu Wuxie raised his hand, and Lin Jin, standing beside him, quickly ducked into the screen to help him sit up. "I am barely thirty, and my wife, whom I married less than three years ago, is not yet with child, and my body has already failed me. I heard that the divine sect in Yu County can save me. Unlike others who come to Yu County seeking immortality or longevity, I only wish for my health to be restored so I can have a lively little daughter with my wife, or a chubby boy, or even a house full of grandchildren."
As Lu Wuxie spoke, he glanced at Zhong Li. "Does Madam agree?"
Zhong Li took a deep breath, her gaze falling on him. Seeing his flippant expression, if it weren't for the current circumstances, she would have loved to drag him off the bed and measure the thickness of his cheek with calipers.
"Madam, why aren't you speaking? Or do you disagree?" Lu Wuxie continued to ask when she didn't respond.
Zhong Li looked at Tang Yuanhua, who had turned to look at Lu Wuxie with a confused expression. She pretended to pout charmingly and said, "Yes, why not? When my husband is well again, I will certainly serve you thoroughly, so much so that you won't be able to get out of bed!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Jin's hands, which were supporting Lu Wuxie, trembled slightly. Lu Wuxie shot him a glance, and Lin Jin quickly suppressed his urge to chuckle, remaining silent.
Tang Yuanhua shifted his gaze from Zhong Li to the man on the bed, his eyes fixed on him. He stood up and said as he walked away, "Young Master Wang, do you truly believe there are medicines that can cure all illnesses in this world?"
"Yes, why not? I have enough money. What can I not buy?" Lu Wuxie retorted.
"Is that so? What if I were to say that this so-called divine maiden sect and their elixirs are merely a deception, would you still believe it?" Tang Yuanhua said, and when no one was looking, he pulled aside the screen on the bed.