Chapter 95: Qiongzhi
Jiang Li and Tong'er walked into Xihua Tower.

Bai Xue was honest and did whatever Jiang Li asked her to do without asking right or wrong. However, Tong Er felt that this was not right and suspected that she was dreaming. Think about it, how could a girl from her family go to a brothel? If she was serving a young master, it would be understandable.

As soon as I walked to the door of the brothel, a young woman with a smile on her face came up to me and asked, "Miss, are you looking for someone?"

The owner of Xihualou had a very clever idea. The men who entered through the front door were greeted by women with charming and sexy clothes. The women who greeted the guests at the back door were dressed modestly and looked very "good girls".

This is natural. The men who come through the front door are here to have fun, so of course they have to be extremely seductive. The people who greet guests at the back door are specifically for those women who come to catch an adulterer. If they dress too seductively, it will make the original wife angry.

Tong'er widened her eyes and saw that the woman was not as wanton as the girls in a brothel. She couldn't help but feel confused and thought that Jiang Li had deliberately lied to her when she said this place was a brothel, and this was just a decent restaurant.

When Tong'er was looking at the girl, the girl was also looking at them. She could tell at a glance that Jiang Li was the master, but she didn't understand why Jiang Li, who looked like an unmarried girl, came to look for someone today? Could it be that she found her fiancé?

However, people in Xihua Tower are already accustomed to this kind of thing.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "I want to find Miss Qiongzhi."

The woman who greeted the guests changed her expression slightly, paused, smiled politely, and said, "Miss, in our Xihua Tower, the flower card girls do not see female guests."

When she saw Jiang Li specifically looking for Qiongzhi, she thought that Jiang Li was looking for trouble with Qiongzhi because of her fiancé, so she naturally wanted to stop her.

Jiang Li smiled, took out a banknote from her sleeve, and asked Bai Xue to put it into the woman's hand. She said, "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to ask Miss Qiongzhi something. I won't cause you any trouble. Miss, please give me a favor, okay?"

The woman looked at the amount on the banknote in her hand and her heart was beating wildly. Even the woman welcoming guests at the front door and the male guests who came to play were not as generous as this young lady. Jiang Li's eyebrows were clear and her words were gentle. Most importantly, there was no contempt in her eyes. The last sentence was inquiring, which clearly showed that she respected her very much.

The woman felt a little emotional. There was no dignity in this line of work. She received those women who came to "cause trouble" at the back door. The women hated women like them. Even if they were dressed very "well-behaved", they still couldn't erase the disgust they had for them. They would say nasty things to them at every turn. They had long forgotten what dignity was.

At this moment, this pampered young lady seemed to treat her like an ordinary person. The woman could not say no. Even if she wanted to refuse, her thoughts disappeared immediately because of Jiang Li's generosity.

She smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, young lady. I'll go see if Qiongzhi has any guests now. If there are..."

"No problem," Jiang Li smiled. "If there is, I'll wait for her here. When she's free, I'll go in."

The woman was stunned, thinking that this young lady was quite unusual. Without wasting any time, she poured a cup of tea for Jiang Li and went inside to question her.

After the woman left, Tong'er asked, "Miss, who is this Miss Qiongzhi? She can't be... is..." Tong'er couldn't say the word "prostitute" no matter what. Jiang Li was the daughter of the Prime Minister. If others knew that she was standing next to a prostitute, they would probably chew their tongues.

Jiang Li said: "She is."

Tong'er: "Ah!"

Although she was surprised and puzzled, Tong'er did not dare to ask further. She saw that Jiang Li's expression had rarely become serious. Sometimes Tong'er thought that her young lady had become a different person since she left Qingcheng Mountain. Many times, Tong'er did not know what her young lady was thinking, and she had no intention of explaining what she did.

Forget it, she is our daughter after all, so I have to accept the consequences no matter what I have to endure in this life.

Not long after, the woman who had taken the silver from Jiang Li came back. She smiled and said to Jiang Li, "Miss, Miss Qiongzhi has no guests now. Do you want to go over now?"

Jiang Li smiled slightly: "Okay."

The route that the welcoming lady took Jiang Li and the others was probably different from the route taken by the patrons, and they didn't see any unsightly scenes along the way, which made Tong'er greatly relieved.

After walking around several corridors and going up several floors, the woman stopped and said with a smile, "This is Miss Qiongzhi's room."

She stopped in front of the house.

Jiang Li paused and said, "Okay."

After the woman left, Jiang Li said, "Tong'er, Bai Xue, wait for me outside the door."

"Girl..." Tong'er was surprised. Jiang Li didn't plan to take them in. She wasn't sad that Jiang Li didn't trust her and didn't tell her the secret, but she was worried that Jiang Li wouldn't really plan to have an affair with some girl named Qiongzhi. Could it be that her own girl was good at polishing mirrors? Tong'er was horrified.

Jiang Li had no idea of ​​the mess Tong'er was thinking. She just pushed the door open, walked in, and turned back to close the door.

Sitting in front of the dressing table, there was a graceful figure. Her aqua blue gauze skirt was almost sliding down to her waist, revealing a large area of ​​snow-white skin. Her back was very beautiful, which made the woman's figure look amazing.

"Miss Qiongzhi." Jiang Li spoke softly.

The back figure slowly turned around.

This woman had a small face the size of a palm, thin eyebrows and long eyes, which made her look sharp and charming, but she had a slightly thick chin, which made her look honest and innocent, adding a special flavor to her style. She should also know that this mouth was well-born, and it became even more charming when she licked it with bright lip balm. She had probably just taken off her bun, and her long hair was fluffy and messy, draped behind her head in a mess, giving her a lazy beauty.

This is the famous Miss Qiongzhi in Xihua Tower.

To be fair, when it comes to facial features, Qiongzhi is not stunning. She has many flaws, even inferior to Jiang Yu'e. However, the innocent charm engraved in her bones makes people linger and unforgettable.

Qiongzhi saw Jiang Li and looked at her carefully. After a moment, she asked with a smile, "Miss, would you like a cup of tea?"

Although she didn't know why Jiang Li came, she was still calm and unhurried, which showed that she was a courageous woman.

Jiang Li smiled and said, "No need. I came to see Miss Qiongzhi because I have something to ask."

"But I don't know you." Qiongzhi smiled brightly and said, "Or, could it be that I know your sweetheart?" Her ending tone was seductive, and her smile was also seductive.

"That's not the case," Jiang Li sat down on the chair, facing Qiongzhi's provocation, she smiled slowly, "Maybe, I know your sweetheart."

Qiongzhi covered her mouth: "What are you talking about..."

"Xue Zhao." Jiang Li uttered two words.

Qiongzhi's smile paused.

The innocent beauty finally stopped showing her amorous feelings at the beginning and stared at Jiang Li's eyes carefully. Although she concealed it well, she was still a little flustered. This made her look more serious.

"Who are you?" Qiongzhi asked after a long time.

"I am an old friend of Xue Zhao." Jiang Li lowered her eyes.

"How do you know that I know Xue Zhao?" Qiongzhi asked.

"Xue Zhao mentioned you to me." Jiang Li said, "I wrote it down."

"I was mentioned..." Qiongzhi looked a little dazed.

Jiang Li stared at the woman in front of her. Qiongzhi still had some feelings for Xue Zhao.

At that time, Xue Zhao made a bet with his classmates and went to Xihua Tower to drink wine without telling Xue Huaiyuan. Although he was drinking wine, Xue Zhao was not used to such occasions. He planned to use this excuse to slip away. However, on his way out, he met Qiongzhi being pushed and shoved by the rude patron, as if she was bullied.

Xue Zhao was a man who would stand up for justice, so he stopped and asked what happened. Qiongzhi immediately cried to Xue Zhao, telling him the story of a good girl who was forced into a wrong path. Xue Zhao beat up the benefactor and asked Qiongzhi how to redeem her. Qiongzhi gave him a huge sum, which left Xue Zhao helpless.

Xue Zhao had no money, so he told Qiongzhi that he could take her out of Xihua Tower if she wanted. But later, it was discovered that Qiongzhi had used Xue Zhao as a pawn to get rid of her benefactor. Qiongzhi had never thought of leaving Xihua Tower, and the pitiful story of being forced into prostitution was just a lie she made up.

Xue Zhao had been working hard to figure out how to help Qiongzhi escape, and even asked Jiang Li to help him find a solution. Later, when Qiongzhi saw that Xue Zhao was really going to take her away, she found it incredible and funny, so she told him the truth. Xue Zhao felt that he had been deceived, and left angrily, vowing never to believe the lies of brothel girls again.

Xue Zhao, who was young and hot-blooded, was played by a woman. Jiang Li couldn't bear it, so she went to Xihua Tower to meet Qiongzhi. When she learned that Xue Fangfei was Xue Zhao's sister, Qiongzhi showed unusual restraint, but she was very concerned about Xue Zhao in her words, and asked Xue Fangfei to apologize to Xue Zhao on her behalf. Xue Fangfei saw that Qiongzhi might have fallen in love with Xue Zhao, but Xue Zhao and Qiongzhi were not the same kind of people, so she didn't tell Xue Zhao about it.

From then on, he had no more contact with Qiongzhi.

"I didn't expect Xue Zhao to have mentioned me to you," Qiongzhi said with a smile, "After all, I am a prostitute. He is such a righteous man, he is not afraid of tarnishing his reputation. But he talked about these things with you, probably because he has a good relationship with you."

There was a hint of tentativeness in his words, probably because he thought that Jiang Li and Xue Zhao had a special relationship. Jiang Li smiled and said, "Xue Zhao's sister and I are good friends. In fact, Xue Zhao didn't tell me these things, but Xue Zhao's sister told me."

The implication of her words was very clear. She and Xue Zhaoqing were innocent, and she was just very close to Xue Fangfei.

At this point, Qiongzhi's eyes became much softer. Qiongzhi smiled and said, "I see."

"I came here with the intention of testing you, thinking that maybe you were no longer in Xihua Tower, but I didn't expect that you were still there." Jiang Li said.

"If I'm not in Xihua Tower, where else can I go?" Qiongzhi also laughed.

Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then asked, "Why didn't you agree to Xue Zhao's decision when he wanted to take you away from Xihua Tower?"

Qiongzhi glanced at Jiang Li with an ambiguous look, and said slowly: "Young lady, I am different from you. You look like a pampered young lady who doesn't know the sufferings of the world. My parents died when I was young, and I was sold to Xihua Tower. I learned piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and I flattered my patrons. This is my livelihood. I don't think there is anything shameful about this. Compared with those women who were sold to wealthy families as slaves and maids, maybe one day they would be taken in by the master, become a concubine, and live in fear under the mistress, I am already very satisfied. At least I am a flower card girl here, and I don't have to beware of the poison of the main wife."

"You think I have no dignity, but if I was born in a pampered family, I would be able to hold my head high. Only those with money can talk about dignity. Those without money should not talk about dignity." She smiled and said, "Xue Zhao is very good. Although he doesn't look like a young master from a wealthy family, he is born very righteous. It's just that his justice sometimes seems too naive."

Qiongzhi suddenly remembered something, smiled and said, "That day he wanted to take me away, I asked him, if I followed him and left Xihua Tower, what should I do in the future? As a result, he looked at me in surprise and asked, 'Of course you will find a legitimate business and live a good life in the future.'" Qiongzhi spread her hands and said, "You see, he never thought of taking me with him. Other men redeem a girl, but they don't let her go out to make a living by herself." "Xue Zhao doesn't like me, he just did this for justice. I can't regard this as sympathy, nor can I regard it as his special feelings for me. I can't follow a person who has no feelings for me. Why should I leave Xihua Tower? At least in Xihua Tower, I have no shortage of money, nor do I lack men who support me."

Qiongzhi sighed, her eyes revealing some melancholy, and she said reminiscingly: "Perhaps it was his innocent justice that touched me. I have seen many men in Xihua Tower, and everyone has his own ideas and is selfish. There are really few who are as clear about black and white as him. I wonder if I can meet such a person in this life, who has no intentions and simply wants to help me... Unfortunately," she laughed self-deprecatingly, "he never came again, and I never saw him."

Jiang Li listened to Qiongzhi's words. She disagreed with some of her words, but she had to admire Qiongzhi's clear vision of some things. Xue Zhao really didn't like Qiongzhi, and Qiongzhi knew this very well, so she didn't get entangled. Xue Zhao was indeed righteous and innocent, otherwise, he would not have been framed by Princess Yongning and died in an unclear way.

Suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, Jiang Li said, "Miss Qiongzhi, it's not that Xue Zhao doesn't want to come, it's that he can't come."

"Oh?" Qiongzhi smiled, "Why can't he come? Is he married?"

"He's dead." Jiang Li said.

Qiongzhi was stunned for a moment, and it seemed that she finally understood what Jiang Li meant by the three words. She screamed, "Impossible!"

"He is indeed dead. He died in Yanjing City. He was robbed and killed by bandits, and his body was dumped in the river."

Qiongzhi covered her mouth all of a sudden. Jiang Li clearly saw tears in Qiongzhi's eyes. She shook her head and murmured, "How is it possible..."

"You only know Xue Zhao's name, but not his identity. Xue Zhao is the son of Xue Huaiyuan, the county magistrate of Tongxiang. His elder sister Xue Fangfei married in Yanjing. A year ago, Xue Fangfei had a miscarriage in Yanjing. Xue Zhao went to visit her in Yanjing and was robbed and killed by bandits. Later, Xue Fangfei died of illness, and Xue Huaiyuan also passed away." Jiang Li said very calmly. She looked at Qiongzhi, "In just one year, all three members of the Xue family died. Don't you find it strange?"

Qiongzhi asked, "What do you mean?"

"Because of the relationship with Xue Fangfei, I am trying to find out the truth about this matter, but I can tell you for sure that Xue Zhao had another cause of death, although it is not clear yet. I came to Xiangyang to fulfill Xue Fangfei's last wish, Miss Qiongzhi," Jiang Li looked at her, "I know you are a capable person. The rich families in Xiangyang come to Xihua Tower every day. It is easy for you to find out about Xiangyang."

"What do you want me to find out for you?" Qiongzhi asked immediately.

"The Xue family in Tongxiang," Jiang Li said, "In fact, I can confirm the death of Xue Zhao and Xue Fangfei because I saw it with my own eyes... But I don't know if Xue Huaiyuan is in Tongxiang. I would like to ask you to help me find out why Xue Huaiyuan in Tongxiang died half a year ago, who took care of his funeral, and where was he buried?"

"Why should I believe you?" Qiongzhi asked.

Although Qiongzhi was heartbroken upon learning of Xue Zhao's sudden death, she did not lose her mind at this time.

"Xue Zhao is a man of affection and righteousness. I think the people he makes friends with are not heartless and ungrateful. I came here for the Xue family, and I hope you can help me." Jiang Li said, "I don't have the bargaining chips to make a deal with you, because you have everything, so I ask you."

Qiongzhi stared at Jiang Li blankly. Jiang Li's attitude was very sincere, almost to the point of being humble, and her eyes were genuine and firm, and she didn't seem like she was lying.

"Xue Zhao is not well-known in Yanjing City, but Xue Fangfei's name is known to everyone in Yanjing City." Jiang Li said, "People who come to Xihua Tower may have been to Yanjing. If you ask around, you will know Xue Fangfei's current situation and whether I am lying or not."

Jiang Li thought about it and decided that it was best to let Qiongzhi to inquire about Tongxiang. First of all, Qiongzhi was indeed the most popular girl in Xihualou, and her patrons were either rich or noble, so it was easy for her to inquire about something, and she could dig out the inside story that others didn't know.

Secondly, Qiongzhi is not vulnerable to any threats. From what she said, she thinks being a brothel girl is also good. It can be seen that she is not short of money, is not afraid of death, does not want to climb up the social ladder by clinging to the rich and powerful, and has no relatives or friends. Even if someone notices that she is looking for Qiongzhi and wants to pry information from her, there is nothing she can do. Qiongzhi will not let the other party succeed.

Finally, of course, few people would have thought that Jiang Li, the daughter of a prime minister, would have dealings with Qiongzhi, a flower girl. Hiding in the dark always puts safety first.

Qiongzhi gritted her teeth and struggled for a long time, then said, "I can promise you, but you have to let me see that Xue Zhao is really dead."

"Xue Zhao's grave is in Yanjing," Jiang Li said softly, "but don't worry, one day, the two siblings will return to their hometown, and I will reunite them." She said, "At that time, Miss Qiongzhi can visit her old friend."

……

When Jiang Li came out of the room, Tong'er and Bai Xue were almost impatient waiting for her, fearing that Jiang Li had been murdered by the "Qiongzhi Miss" inside. Seeing Jiang Li come out safe and sound, they breathed a sigh of relief. Tong'er wanted to look inside, but she only saw a figure in a blue skirt sitting in front of the dressing table, with her shoulders slightly shaking, as if she was sobbing.

Tong'er was shocked and wondered what was going on. Why was Miss Qiongzhi crying? It couldn't be that Jiang Li was bullying someone. Jiang Li was just a little girl, so why did she bully someone and make them cry?

Jiang Li said: "Don't look at it, let's go."

Tong'er quickly put away her thoughts and hurriedly caught up with Jiang Li with Bai Xue.

Jiang Li's footsteps were not brisk, but they were no heavier than when she came.

She was actually not sure about asking Qiongzhi for help at first. She just relied on the time she met Qiongzhi when she was still Xue Fangfei, and vaguely felt that Qiongzhi had feelings for Xue Zhao. But that little bit of affection had really passed for a long time, and she didn't know how much of it still existed.

Everyone says whores are heartless and actors are disloyal, and that women in the entertainment field must not be sincere, but Jiang Li believes that women in the entertainment field are often more loyal than ordinary people. She won the bet in the end. Qiongzhi still has feelings for Xue Zhao. Xue Zhao's death touched Qiongzhi, and Qiongzhi was willing to help, which was the best thing.

As long as she knew the news of Tongxiang and Xue Huaiyuan's situation, her trip would not be in vain. It would be much easier to make countermeasures after knowing the situation. It would be easy to find an excuse to return to Tongxiang during this trip to Xiangyang.

The three of them walked out again the way they came. Tong'er originally wanted to find someone to lead the way to avoid taking the wrong path, but seeing that Jiang Li did not hesitate, as if she knew the way and was very familiar with it, he gave up the idea, thinking that his girl was really good at finding the way and she would know it after walking once.

When she reached the back door, she didn't see the woman who greeted her at first, but met a man unexpectedly. Because the people who came to the back door were women looking for their husbands, and the men came in from the front door, Jiang Li couldn't help but look at the man a few more times.

He was a sturdy middle-aged man, dressed a little strangely, not like the clothes of Xiangyang, but like a strong suit with armor, which was a bit strange. There was a finger-long scar on the left side of his face, which made him look a bit like a bandit, and he didn't fit in with the other people in Xiangyang.

The man probably didn't expect that a little girl would suddenly walk out from inside, and he knew at a glance that she was not the girl from Xihua Tower. He couldn't help but look at Jiang Li twice more.

When the two looked at each other, they felt a strange feeling, as if they were familiar, but Jiang Li had clearly never seen this man before. While she was thinking for a moment, he had already passed her and walked inside.

Jiang Li stopped and looked back. The man had gone upstairs and disappeared. Perhaps he was a patron who came here for fun.

"Miss, do you feel something is wrong?" Bai Xue asked when she saw Jiang Li turning back to look at the man.

"Nothing." Jiang Li thought about it but couldn't figure out where she had seen this person before. However, this strange feeling was not unpleasant. Standing here would inevitably attract attention, so she said, "Let's go."

She walked out of Xihua Tower with two maids without looking back.

……

As soon as Jiang Li left Xihua Tower, Wen Ji reported the matter to Ji Heng in the pavilion.

"Miss Jiang Er entered Xihua Tower and met Qiongzhi, the most popular flower girl in the tower." Wen Ji said.

"Qiongzhi..." Lu Ji pondered, "Did she go to find Qiongzhi on purpose?"

"That should be the case. Qiongzhi is the top prostitute in Xihua Tower. There are secret guards in front of the room where she lives. The people sent out cannot find out what they said. However, Miss Jiang stayed in Qiongzhi's room for more than an incense stick before coming out. It was not a short stay. After she left, Qiongzhi seemed very excited and stayed in the room alone. She closed the door and did not see any guests today."

Ji Heng raised her eyebrows: "So."

"Sir, why don't we send someone to find Miss Qiongzhi?" Lu Ji suggested, "and see what Miss Jiang Er said to her."

"That's impossible." Ji Heng smiled faintly.

"Why?"

Wen Ji took the initiative to explain: "This Miss Qiongzhi is a tough character, she won't be persuaded by soft or hard tactics. She was trained by the mother of Xihualou since she was a child, and she is naturally charming. Many patrons wanted to redeem her, and even a young man from a wealthy family wanted to marry her, but Qiongzhi rejected them all. Other flower girls sell their bodies to raise enough money to become good women, but Qiongzhi is not short of money, and she doesn't want to become a good woman. She can't be tempted by wealth and glory, and the position of mistress of the house can't move her either."

Lu Ji was stunned. He didn't expect that Qiongzhi would be such a tough nut to crack.

"And Qiongzhi has contacts with many prominent figures in Xiangyang, and these people are willing to protect her, just like the Fairy Jinghong in Yanjing City before, so it's not easy to force her. Besides, with Qiongzhi's personality, even if she forces it, it may not work."

Ji Heng lazily closed the fan and said, "See, Miss Jiang came prepared and specially found a dagger without a sheath."

"In that case, Miss Jiang's scheming is far deeper than we expected." Lu Ji said in a deep voice.

Jiang Li chose Qiongzhi. No matter what they traded, Qiongzhi was like a stone that could not be pried open. Jiang Li found the safest Qiongzhi from the beginning in order to prevent anyone from trying to pry open the other person's mouth.

She thought of all the possibilities and ways out, but it left people helpless.

"Send someone to keep an eye on Qiongzhi." Ji Heng said with a smile, "See what she will do next."

Wen Ji accepted the order.

Lu Ji looked at Ji Heng again: "Speaking of which, the people arranged by the Li family have also arrived. This time, the kid from the Right Prime Minister's family decided to deal with the Ye family. Ye Shijie is not following the path he arranged. I don't know if it will work to trip up the Ye family this time."

"Why not?" Ji Heng asked back.

Lu Ji hesitated for a moment, stroked his goatee, and then said, "Your Excellency's previous plans were all messed up because of Second Miss Jiang. Now Second Miss Jiang is also in Xiangyang. I always feel that this Second Miss Jiang is not simple. If Second Miss Jiang found Qiongzhi this time, could it be related to this matter? If Second Miss Jiang interferes again and messes up Your Excellency's plan, it will be bad."

Jiang Li disrupted Ji Heng's plan several times, but each time it seemed unintentional. Lu Ji thought that Miss Jiang was Ji Heng's nemesis in her previous life, and she followed the old path in this life, always causing trouble for Ji Heng. Wherever Jiang Li was, there were "accidents".

"If she has the ability, she can try to stir up trouble." Ji Heng narrowed her eyes slightly, "I'll wait."

　The Duke's flag is flying high...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)