AWB Chapter 180 Drunken Truth Revealed
Chapter 180 Drunken Truth Revealed
Upon seeing this, the madam's eyes flashed with surprise and hesitation.
Zhang Gong is usually very frugal, so why is he so extravagant today?
Could it be that she'd struck it rich? But she didn't have time to think about it; all she could think about was not letting Yueqin, such a promising talent, be ruined like this.
"Yueqin, you don't understand. Zhang Gong is no good. Don't be fooled," the madam whispered, pulling on Yueqin's arm.
Yueqin gently pulled her hand away from the madam's and said softly, "Mama, I know what I'm doing."
Having said that, she took light steps and walked towards Zhang Gong.
The madam glanced at the gold leaf in Zhang Gong's hand, and the hesitation in her eyes was eventually replaced by greed.
Although it's unclear where Zhang Gong suddenly got so much silver, now that he's brought it into Zuixianglou, he shouldn't even think about taking it out.
At the entrance, Zhang Gong was surrounded by a group of girls, his face full of smugness.
Sure enough, only those with money in their hands can command respect from others.
His eyes lit up when he saw Yueqin approaching.
"Oh, is this little beauty new here?" He reached out to touch Yueqin's face.
Yueqin slightly turned aside, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Master Zhang, I am Yueqin. May I have a few drinks with you tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Gong burst into laughter, "You look unfamiliar to me, are you a new girl in the building?"
Yueqin's cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes held a hint of shyness. "I've only been at Zuixiang Tower for less than a month..."
Her voice suddenly lowered, her clear, melodious voice drifting into Zhang Gong's ears on the fragrant breeze, "I hope you will take pity on me, sir..."
Zhang Gong, having frequented brothels for many years, was well aware of the meaning behind her words and immediately burst into laughter:
"Okay, okay! You're so kind, little beauty. Come on, let's go upstairs."
As he spoke, he reached out and put his arm around Yueqin, leading her upstairs to a private room.
The girls around them, though somewhat jealous, dared not say anything.
The madam led Zhang Gong to the innermost private room.
This private room is usually reserved for guests who are generous with their money.
Zhang Gong's smile never faded, and he casually rewarded the madam with a gold leaf, saying, "You do have some sense."
The madam smiled obsequiously as she watched Zhang Gong go inside, then rolled her eyes and said disdainfully, "So what if he made a fortune somewhere? Does he really think he's a rich man?"
The madam muttered to herself as she carefully put away the gold leaf.
She turned and went downstairs, but her mind was still on Yueqin. This was the first time the girl had entertained a customer, and she hoped nothing would go wrong tonight.
Inside the private room, Zhang Gong couldn't wait to have Yueqin drink with him.
Yueqin gently raised her jade-like hand to fill Zhang Gong's wine cup, her eyes sparkling. "Master Zhang, you are so generous today, there must be some great joy in your life. May I ask if you may tell me about it?"
Zhang Gong tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup to the bottom. He wiped his mouth and, although he was a little drunk, he didn't say anything he shouldn't have.
"My beauty, the spring night is too short to talk about such meaningless things..."
Yueqin chuckled, her hands, painted with red nail polish, slowly caressing the rim of the cup. "Then, Master Zhang, drink more tonight. I will certainly serve you to your heart's content."
The beauty was so gentle that Zhang Gong was instantly captivated by her tenderness. He drank whatever Yueqin offered him, never refusing anything.
After several rounds of drinks, Zhang Gong was already somewhat drunk. He looked at Yueqin with a lewd look in his eyes and reached out to unbutton her clothes.
Yueqin skillfully dodged, looked at the drunken Zhang Gong, and stood up.
"Master Zhang, you're so generous today, where did all this money come from?" Her voice was soft, but there was no trace of smile or tenderness on her face.
Zhang Gong seemed completely drunk. He tried to open his eyes, but his pupils were dilated and his gaze was unfocused.
"This silver..."
His voice was hoarse as he spoke, each word distinct, "This silver was a reward from a nobleman. I did him a favor, shh—"
"My beauty, you mustn't tell anyone that I secretly switched the exam papers of these two students..."
A glint of light flashed in Yueqin's eyes. She helped Zhang Gong up and said with a smile, "Master Zhang, you've had too much to drink. Let me help you to the restroom."
The madam was passing by the door when she heard it creak open from the inside.
The madam was startled and clutched her chest, asking reproachfully, "What happened?"
Yueqin, supporting Zhang Gong, said with a flushed face, "Master Zhang has had too much to drink and needs to use the restroom."
Just as the madam was about to tell her to take the men and leave quickly, Zhang Gong, who was in Yueqin's arms, suddenly opened his eyes with a "whoosh," broke free from the madam, and pounced in front of her.
The madam was horrified and cried out, "Oh dear, Master Zhang, you've had too much to drink, can you see clearly...?"
Zhang Gong let out a burp, glared at the madam with wide eyes, and said, "I saw it clearly!"
"Don't think I don't know!"
"You look down on me every time I come to Zuixianglou and I don't spend enough!"
Zhang Gong, his face flushed, hiccuped as he pulled a few gold leaves from his pocket and tossed them at the madam. "You still dare to look down on me?"
The madam's face twitched; Zhang Gong, as expected, never failed to cause trouble.
She winked at Yueqin, trying to get her to bring the person inside quickly, but unexpectedly she suddenly heard Zhang Gong shout, "Let me tell you, I've now climbed the social ladder, and I won't be short of money anymore!"
"You dare look down on me!"
The madam knew Zhang Gong's identity.
An ordinary reader in the Hanlin Academy.
Li Kangnian of the Hanlin Academy was upright and honest, and he couldn't stand his subordinates being corrupt and accepting bribes. Therefore, it was difficult for the officials of the Hanlin Academy to make money through underhanded means.
However, those with exceptionally high courage are an exception.
But Zhang Gong was clearly not a bold man, nor was he particularly capable. For three or four years, he remained a Reader-in-Waiting, without any promotion.
Right now, he keeps saying he's climbed the social ladder by befriending someone important...
The madam's heart skipped a beat. She glanced around and, sure enough, saw that many people had noticed them.
Her eyelids twitched suddenly, and she had a bad feeling.
The madam quickly put on a smiling face, picking up the gold leaves from the ground as she said, "Master Zhang, what are you saying? You've always been a distinguished guest of our Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. Please don't stand here; let's go inside and talk."
As he spoke, he tried to pull Zhang Gong into a private room.
Zhang Gong, however, was relentless. He shook off her hand and shouted angrily, "Get out! I don't want an old scoundrel like you. I'll have the prettiest girl in the building serve me!"
"I'm now one of Prince Xuan's men, I don't even look at those ordinary guys!"
The madam was terrified, feeling that Zhang Gong must have said something he shouldn't have.
"Master Zhang, you're drunk. Yueqin, quickly help Master Zhang back to his room to rest..."
However, before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.
The madam's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition rising in her mind. She looked downstairs and saw a group of officials striding in from outside, rudely pushing aside the girls inside and heading straight for the private room on the second floor.
The madam glanced subconsciously at Zhang Gong, who was being supported by Yueqin, and her face instantly turned pale.
These officials are definitely after Zhang Gong!