The door to the private room was pushed open. Zhan Feiyu looked up and saw a woman in a light gauze dress, holding a pipa. She had her hair styled in a fallen horse bun, and her eyes held a gentle, watery gaze. Her naturally charming beauty inspired an instinctive desire to protect.
"Get out!" Jiao Lianping said with disgust. He did enjoy listening to Xiao Taohong sing, but ultimately, she was just a low-class street performer. With Zhan Feiyu present today, and thinking of her teacher, Scholar Gu, Jiao Lianping wished he could turn back time.
A dandy in a long blue robe, standing by the door, rose to his feet. Seeing that Zhan Feiyu only looked curious and not angry, his anxious heart finally relaxed.
This young lady must come from a noble family. If her elders found out that a chaste courtesan was in the same room with her, not only would they be angered, but it could even implicate the entire family. The reputation of noble daughters could not be tarnished.
A young maidservant at the door saw the blue-robed youth approaching and pleaded, "Young Master Wang, my lady..."
"Xiao Lian!" a soft reprimand sounded. Xiao Taohong curtsied to the blue-robed young master. "I apologize for disturbing you all. I seem to have entered the wrong room and will leave now."
"But if you go back, Miss, Aunt Dong will surely make you entertain guests," the young maidservant cried out, falling to her knees with a thud. She kowtowed repeatedly to everyone in the private room. "Young Master, please show some mercy and save my lady. If my lady returns like this today, she truly has no way to survive."
... Chen An had intended to leverage his brother-in-law Jiao Lianping's influence to expand the Chen family's business.
Zhen Wei Xuan was just a pastry shop, yet it could now earn thousands of taels daily. If the Chen family's other businesses could achieve similar success, he could secure the title of imperial merchant in a few years.
Seeing that Jiao Lianping was in a bad mood, Chen An immediately had a banquet arranged and summoned Xiao Taohong, the best singer. Once his brother-in-law was well-fed, well-entertained, and happy, the Chen family's business matters would be settled with a word from him.
Chen An's plan was going smoothly, but the people in the private room didn't even spare him a glance. This angered Chen An, who casually grabbed a vase from a low table and hurled it towards Zhan Feiyu.
Outside the private room, Jiao Lianping and the others were accustomed to Chen An's overbearing behavior. The families of the dandies present all had fathers in official positions, and the Chen family was no exception. However, Chen An's branch of the family was in commerce.
Chen An, a merchant, could associate with Jiao Lianping and his ilk because he was generous with his money, and more importantly, Chen An was adept at flattery.
Jiao Lianping knew that Chen An was trying to curry favor with him. However, feeling stifled at the Jiao family, being flattered by Chen An made him feel much better.
"My grandfather said these next few days will be unsettled and told me not to go out causing trouble," said a young man standing nearby in a low voice. His father and elder brother were officials in other regions, and his grandfather had long since retired. His grandfather's information was no longer up-to-date. The young man spoke these words to try and gather some insider information.
Just as Jiao Lianping was about to speak, there was a loud bang, accompanied by the sound of shattering porcelain. Chen An, standing at the entrance of the private room, was sent flying backward.
His short, stout body hit the railing and then fell to the ground. Likely in immense pain, Chen An lay curled on the ground, making no sound for a long time.
"They stole our private room and dare to act so brazenly!" the tallest youth, known for his fiery temper, exclaimed angrily. "Even a dog needs to be looked at before being beaten! Everyone in Qianzhong Prefecture knows Chen An hangs out with us. If this gets out, what face will we have to walk around Qianzhong Prefecture?"
"Don't make a move!" Jiao Lianping grabbed the tall youth's arm. Although his pampered face was also grim, he understood that these were critical times. If anything happened, their families wouldn't be able to protect them, especially since they weren't highly valued in their own households.
"This might be a trap!" another companion chimed in, his eyes showing a trace of solemnity. If someone had set a trap, and they fell into it, the consequences would be unimaginable, possibly even implicating their entire families.
The other individuals exchanged glances, startled. Their casual gathering earlier that day was also to gather information and share it amongst themselves!
Furthermore, although they were considered dandies, just as Jiao Lianping was about to enter officialdom, so was another among them. The other two intended to join the army. They all had some unsavory dealings. It was fine as long as no one investigated, but if someone caught them with leverage...
"Let's see," Jiao Lianping signaled his attendant to check on Chen An's condition and then took the lead, walking towards the private room. If it truly was a trap, it might have been set by his studious second brother.
The group followed Jiao Lianping into the private room and were stunned. Although there were four people seated inside, their clothing and demeanor clearly indicated that the young girl was the master, and the other three were servants. This didn't look like a trap.
"Miss Zhan?" Jiao Lianping was also taken aback. He then looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was rising, with a complex gaze. She was originally a country girl, but due to her good fortune in becoming Scholar Gu's disciple, she could now act with impunity in the Great Qing Dynasty. Even the Provincial Governor, Lord Qiu, treated her as an honored guest – a second-rank official of the court!
Jiao Lianping then thought of himself. Despite coming from an official family, the Jiao family, with his father being the Prefect of Qianzhong Prefecture, he had fallen to the point of associating with people like Chen An, and was even suppressed by a concubine's son, unable to advance. In comparison, it was difficult for Jiao Lianping not to feel envious.
"Greetings, Young Master Jiao," Zhan Feiyu said. Her gaze swept over the people at the door, and she smiled, "I didn't expect this to be the private room Young Master Jiao had booked. Please forgive us."
"Miss Zhan, you are too kind. This private room was first come, first served. Rather, we have disturbed your meal," Jiao Lianping said, not daring to be presumptuous. She was Scholar Gu's only junior disciple. One must respect the Buddha even if not the monk. All the officials in Qianzhong Prefecture had to show her respect.
The dandies at the door were dumbfounded. Who was this young girl to warrant such politeness from Young Master Jiao? She looked unfamiliar.
Looking across the entire Qianzhong Circuit, only Miss Qiu's status was sufficiently noble back then. Although she wasn't from the main branch of the Qiu family, she was the only young lady of her generation, making her appear precious.
However, with the decline of the third branch of the Qiu family, Qiu Jingyuan's status also plummeted. If it weren't for the consideration of Governor Qiu, the young ladies who had been bullied by Qiu Jingyuan would have certainly kicked her when she was down, if not retaliated collectively.
It was rumored that Qiu Jingyuan now lived in seclusion and had not attended any banquets or invitations. The third branch of the Qiu family had colluded with barbarians, so it was understandable that Qiu Jingyuan had retreated.
Although Zhan Feiyu's identity was unknown, her ability to command such respect from Young Master Jiao indicated that she must have a significant background.
Furthermore, Zhan Feiyu and her servants looked amiable. A young man, wanting to seize the opportunity to connect with her, smiled and said, "Fate brings us together. Greetings, Miss Zhan."
The other dandies were not foolish and also paid their respects. As for Chen An, who had been kicked out, he had long been forgotten by them.
A quarter of an hour later, dishes were served on the table again. Jiao Lianping and his group were indeed the "local snakes" of Qianzhong Prefecture. Even for the same two dishes, the ones served now were clearly superior in color, aroma, and taste. Not only were the ingredients better, but the chef also put more effort into cooking them.
"Miss Zhan, please try this Hundred Flavor Soup. It's a secret recipe from Yi Pin Lou. Dozens of medicinal herbs are used to enhance its flavor. You can't find it anywhere else but Qianzhong Prefecture," Jiao Lianping invited Zhan Feiyu to drink the soup. Perhaps due to his naturally arrogant disposition, he found it difficult to flatter a young girl, even knowing Zhan Feiyu's background, he couldn't be as shameless as Chen An.
"The shopkeeper said earlier that they were short of fresh perch. It seems we have Young Master Jiao to thank for it now," Zhan Feiyu had come to Yi Pin Lou precisely to try the renowned Hundred Flavor Soup. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper said they didn't have enough ingredients to make it. She hadn't expected it was her own status that was insufficient.
The eldest son among Jiao Lianping's group was the same age as Zhan Feiyu. However, dandies were still dandies; they didn't care about seniority or age. Seeing that Zhan Feiyu was amiable, they all smiled and flattered her, making it seem as if they were all peers at the table.
Placing his teacup down heavily, the speaking youth chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Hmph, yours is still considered good. I had to climb over a wall to get out today. I'll surely be whipped by the old man when I get back."
"Who told you to have such a bad record?" a companion teased with a smile, slinging an arm around the youth's shoulder. He added without reservation, "At three years old, you were already kicking and punching the household maids and servants."