Chapter 1: The Miserable Transmigration

  "Master Han is being polite, I'm just a humble person who can only recognize a few characters, how could I be worthy of Master Han's title? It's really embarrassing for me. On the other hand, I admire you, Master Han, your martial arts skills are renowned throughout Bianjing and beyond, I dream of becoming someone like you, with an aura that makes people tremble and no one dares to challenge you."

  Jiang Xia threw one after another to Han Yu, making Han Yu smile with joy. Han Yu walked over and patted Jiang Xia's shoulder, saying: "You little guy is a talent, don't worry, in the future at Qunfang Pavilion I will take good care of you, definitely won't let you suffer any bullying."

  "Thank you, Brother Han." Jiang Xia said with a moved face.

  It was just a few words, but Jiang Xia's way of addressing Han Yu changed from "Master Han" to "Big Brother Han". Han Yu also nodded and responded with: "Brother Jiang."

  "Alright, Jiang brothers, let's not keep Mrs. Kang waiting." Han Yu said.

  "Good."

  Jiang Xia followed Han Yu to a place called "Qingyan Residence", Qingyan being the name of Mrs. Kang. It is said that when Mrs. Kang was young, she was a famous courtesan in Shuntian Prefecture, but later she got involved with an official and bought her freedom, after which she opened this brothel.

  The name Kang Qianyan indeed has the feeling of a stunning beauty, but in reality, nearly 50-year-old Mrs. Kang has long lost her former charm due to frequent social drinking.

  Han Yu stood at the door and knocked, and a voice came from inside: "Come in."

  Han pushed open the door and walked in with Jiang Xia.

  The Light Smoke Pavilion is very spacious and the interior decoration is also very luxurious. Han Yu took Jiang Xia into the living room, where they stayed, while a voice came from the boudoir next to the study: "You two sit down first, I'll be right there."

  After a while, Mrs. Kang came out. She was wearing a cheongsam with intricate embroidery, and despite her age, she still looked plump and rounded due to her tall stature. Her long hair was styled in an exaggerated updo, adorned with various hair accessories, including gold and jade pieces. Perhaps due to middle age, the skin on Mrs. Kang's face had begun to sag, and despite the thick layer of makeup, it couldn't hide the spots that had appeared on her face.

  "What are you standing there for? Sit down." said Mrs. Kang to Han Yu and Jiang Xia.

  Han You shook his head and said, "No, Aunt Kang, I still have to go and give some instructions to my subordinates later, so I'll leave first." After finishing speaking, Han You glanced at Jiang Xia, then leaned in close to Aunt Kang's ear and whispered a few sentences.

  Han spoke at the same time as Mrs. Kang glanced at Jiang Xia a few times, and her eyes sparkled slightly.

  After Han Yu finished speaking, Mrs. Kang nodded, and Han Yu looked at Jiang Xia again, giving him an encouraging look. Jiang Xia knew that Han Yu must have said something good about him to Mrs. Kang, so he slightly nodded his head and gave him a grateful look.

  Han Yu finished speaking and walked out of the room, at this moment Mrs. Kang looked up and down Jiang Xia.

  Being sized up by an old woman like this made Jiang Xia feel very uncomfortable, but he could only endure it, after all, circumstances were stronger than people.

  Kang's mother smiled and said, "I didn't expect that my Fangyuan Pavilion had hidden such a talented person, but I didn't discover it. If Zhao hadn't told me you were clever, I'm afraid this precious jade would have been buried in dust. I heard from Han Yu that you can recognize characters and understand literature?"

  Jiang Xia nodded: "When I was young, I learned some of the Four Books and Five Classics, so I know a little bit."

  This sentence is absolutely modest, as the youngest leader in the history of Qianmen, it's not just about being clever and able to talk eloquently. Jiang Xia's accumulation of knowledge far surpasses that of ordinary people, and it's not an exaggeration to say that he is well-versed in both Chinese and Western learning.

  "Okay." Kang's mother got up and walked to the study, brought back a few books, and put them in front of Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia took a glance and found that Kang's mother had brought several account books. Kang's mother said: "Help me take a look at these account books and see if you can find anything unusual."

  "Good." Jiang Xia picked up an account book and began to flip through it. He read quickly, finally closing the book and saying: "Mother Kang, this is the April account. In April, we had a total income of 3,220 taels and 672 coins, expenses were 1,018 taels and 500 coins, and the net profit was 2,202 taels and 172 coins. However..."

  "What is it?" Mrs. Kang was slightly startled. Although she also knew how to do arithmetic, every time she had an account book, she would have to use an abacus for a long time before she could calculate it clearly, but Jiang Xia only took a rough glance and calculated the gross profit, expenditure, and net profit.

  When Jiang Xia said "but", Mrs. Kang was even more surprised, thinking that this kid wouldn't find any problems with the account anymore, so she quickly asked him to continue.

  "Kang's mother, look at this page. It says that on April 8th, we bought one hundred high-quality quilts and mattresses for three hundred eighty taels of silver. However, the highest quality quilts in Shuntian Prefecture only cost a little over two taels each. When buying one hundred high-quality quilts, most shop owners would throw in some free mattresses. It doesn't make sense that we spent three hundred eighty taels."

  "Ah..." Mrs. Kang took a look and immediately got angry. She slapped the table and stood up: "He Chaoxi, I trusted you so much, but I didn't expect you to be so greedy and corrupt."

  Kang's mother opened the door and shouted loudly: "Someone is coming!"

  Two burly men in martial arts attire rushed over from the fourth floor, they were the thugs of Qunfang Pavilion. Kang's mother shouted: "Go, bring He Chaoxi to me immediately."

  He Chaoxi is an old turtle in Qunfang Pavilion, and because of his long tenure, he has gained the trust of Kang Mama. He is responsible for purchasing all kinds of goods, big or small, in Qunfang Pavilion.

  Two thugs answered "yes" and immediately went to find He Chaixi, bringing him over in no time.

  As soon as he entered the house, his mother slapped the table and shouted: "He Chaoxi, you have a big nerve, daring to cheat even me."

  She handed the two account books on the table to He Chaoxi and said, "The accounts for April and May, the things you bought are much more expensive than the most expensive ones in the market, what's going on?"

  He Chaoxi was taken aback, and his whole body trembled with fear. He lifted his head and looked at Mrs. Kang in trepidation. The evidence was overwhelming, and he could no longer deny it. He let out a mournful cry and repeatedly kowtowed to Mrs. Kang, saying: "Mrs. Kang, I was wrong, I was wrong! I won't dare do it again! Please forgive me this once, please forgive me this once..."

  Kang's mother saw He Chaoxi acknowledge and immediately ordered without thinking: "Drag him away, first break one of his legs and then talk."

  "Yes!" The two thugs dragged He Chaoxi out the door, and he shouted loudly: "Spare my life, Kang's mother, spare my life..." His voice grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared.

  After He Chaoxi's matter was settled, Mrs. Kang looked at Jiang Xia again, this time the appreciation in her eyes was no longer covered up by anything, and that straight gaze made Jiang Xia's whole body involuntarily break out in goosebumps.

  Kang's mother didn't expect this either, originally just wanting to test Jiang Xia, but instead discovered so many problems with the accounts. Kang's mother said: "Jiang Xia, I think you're a talented person, being a servant in the group of flowers is really a waste of your abilities. Now that the group of flowers happens to be short of an accountant, why don't you come and try it out? The starting monthly salary will be three or two taels, if you do well, there's still room for raises, and at the end of the year, there's a dividend."

  Three taels! Jiang Xia listened and secretly calculated in her heart, this was equivalent to a six-fold increase from the original salary. Calculated at three taels per month, it wouldn't take long for her to redeem herself.

  How could such a good thing be refused, Jiang Xia immediately bowed and said: "Thank you, Mom Kang, for your kindness. I will definitely do my best to live up to the mission."

  "Good." Mother Kang smiled and said: "You did a good job just now, I must reward you. Go to the accounting room later to receive five taels of silver as a reward, and say it's what I said."

  Is there a reward? Jiang Xia was even happier now that he lacked only silver, so he didn't decline and immediately replied: "Thank you, Mother Kang."

  After leaving Mrs. Kang's room, Jiang Xia walked out of the Fragrant Pavilion and bought some wine and dishes to take back to Han Yu as a thank you for his kind words. As the saying goes, "gifts are given in return", the establishment of relationships is built on mutual help and giving.

  Shuntianfu. The west garden of the imperial city, Taiye Pool southwest shore, near Xihua Gate. This is where Emperor Zhu Houzhao of the Ming Dynasty governed the country and commanded the military during the Zhengde period, the Leopard House.

  The new mansion of the Leopard House began to be built in the second year of Zhengde, and by the fifth year of Zhengde, more than 200 houses were added, consuming more than 240,000 taels of silver. In fact, the new mansion of the Leopard House was not a place for raising leopards, nor was it a simple palace for leisure in the general sense, but rather a place where Zhu Houzhao lived and handled government affairs. The new mansion of the Leopard House had many secret rooms, like a maze, and also built a drill ground, Buddhist temple, etc.

  At this moment, the pavilion where Zhao Zhu Hou sat was built on a huge stone brought from Taihu Lake by dismantling the water gate and city wall. Sitting in the pavilion and looking around, all the more than 200 rooms of the entire mansion were within his sight. He took a deep breath and made a strange gesture like a sleeping Buddha.

  After a while, Zhu Houzhao shook his head and picked up a book on the ground, flipping through it: "What a pity, I've searched the world for the Eighteen Forms of the Imperial Female Heart Scripture, but I only got these four forms - Dry Land Pulling Scallions, Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus, Old Man Pushing a Cart, and Sleeping with Arms Around the Moon. What are the remaining fourteen forms like? I really want to take a look."

  Zhang Yong, who was watching from the side, smiled and said: "Your Majesty, this 'Imperial Female Heart Scripture' is a masterpiece of **. The original ancient book has long been lost, and Your Majesty can find four styles already, it's a lucky person. Forcing it won't work. Why not practice to this point for now, let me arrange something, and go to the Group Fragrance Pavilion today to listen to Shi Shi's poetry and music?"

  "Poem poem girl?" Zhu Houzhao's spirit was clearly shaken, and he nodded: "Very good, call Liu Jin together."

  Zhang Yongyi heard Zhu Houzhao preparing to call Liu Jin, and he couldn't help but frown, thinking that if he brought this master of flattery along, how could they possibly gain the emperor's favor? Zhang Yong thought for a moment before smiling and saying: "Your Majesty, it seems that Liu Gonggong had followed Wang Daren to Jiangxi a few days ago, I'm afraid he's not in Shuntian Prefecture right now."

  He was also a very clever person, who actually knew that Liu Jin had not left Shuntian Prefecture. However, he did not want to let Liu Jin go together, so the words were spoken ambiguously, using uncertain words such as "seems" and "fears". This way, even if Zhu Houzhao found out later that Liu Jin was still in Beijing at this time, he would not blame himself, after all, he didn't say for sure that he wasn't in Shuntian Prefecture.

  "Oh, right. Liu Jin said he would go to Jiangxi to bring back a few beautiful musicians for me, now I'm afraid he has already left the capital. Well, well, then just you and I will go today. You go down and prepare first, we'll leave the palace at the end of Shen hour."

  "Yes." Zhang Yong responded and backed down.

  Zhu Houzhao continued to gaze at the Four-Formations Heart Scripture of the Imperial Concubine, relying on which he could have seven concubines attend to him at night, proving that it was indeed a divine book. After gazing for a while, Zhu Houzhao let out a sigh and shook his head as he walked down from the pavilion.