Chapter 173 This courtesan is strange

Chapter 173 This courtesan is strange

Without saying a word, Jiang Yutang took out another silver ingot from his pocket and handed it over.

Upon seeing the silver, the woman's fawning smile deepened. She immediately shut her mouth, took the silver, and waved to another woman, saying, "Since you have important business to attend to, we won't disturb you any longer."

The two swayed their hips and walked out of the room laughing.

As soon as the two women left, Jiang Sumin suddenly stood up and hurriedly straightened his half-open collar.

Jiang Yutang pointed at his cheek and said gloatingly, "Wipe off the marks on your face."

Jiang Sumin reached out and touched a sticky patch of rouge. With a look of disgust, he quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and vigorously wiped his face, muttering to himself.

"How could these women act like this? It scared me to death."

"It's because you look so unapproachable that they tease you even more," Jiang Yutang teased with a smile. Seeing that he was ready, she led him to the third floor.

"I just ran into Lan Zhou and Magistrate Li in that room. He was also there to investigate Magistrate Li. Let's go to the third floor and wait."

Jiang Yutang and Jiang Sumin sat in the private room, discussing the matter of Magistrate Li in detail.

"In my opinion, the reason why Li Tongpan suddenly wants to win over Cheng Lanzhou is probably because Cheng Lanzhou's power in Danzhou is growing, and he is worried that he will no longer be able to control everything. So he wants to bribe him first to get him to take his side."

"Unfortunately, he miscalculated."

Jiang Yutang scoffed, her tone resolute: "Who is Lan Zhou? He would never associate with such a corrupt official."

The two waited for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but Cheng Lanzhou didn't see anyone. Instead, an unexpected person appeared.

Courtesan Su Wan.

She was still wearing that long dress with flowing sleeves, but she had lost some of the allure of the brothel and gained a more refined elegance.

Upon seeing the woman, Jiang Sumin reflexively stood up and took two steps back, clearly frightened by the harassment.

Su Wan saw his reaction and didn't go forward again. She just stood at the door and said calmly, "General Cheng asked me to guide you two. There are too many people here, so it's not a good place to talk."

Jiang Yutang became wary.

Su Wan was a courtesan whom Li Tongpan often took care of, and she looked like one of Li Tongpan's people. Why would Cheng Lanzhou let her lead the way?

Su Wan seemed to see through her doubts, took out a token from her sleeve and handed it over. The token had the character "Cheng" engraved on the front, just like the one Cheng Lanzhou had given her.

After confirming that everything was correct, the two followed Su Wan outside.

The backyard of the brothel was quiet and deserted, with an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage parked there.

The three boarded the carriage and left. Jiang Yutang couldn't help but ask curiously, "You're just leaving like this? Won't Magistrate Li blame you?"

Mentioning Prefect Li, a clear look of disgust flashed in Su Wan's eyes, and she said in a cold tone, "I put some sedative in his wine, and he'll be asleep until dawn."

The carriage traveled for about half an hour before stopping in front of a secluded house.

Pushing open the gate, the courtyard is filled with crabapple trees, their petals falling on the bluestone path, exuding a touch of elegance.

Su Wan invited the two of them into the house and made them tea herself.

Jiang Sumin held his teacup and looked around at the furnishings in the room: "This house is quite elegant, and it looks very comfortable."

Even the most beautiful courtesan wouldn't have enough money to afford such a house.

Upon hearing this, Su Wan smiled and said, "This is the house that General Cheng arranged for me. It's far away from the hustle and bustle of the brothels, and I can live in peace and quiet."

Jiang Yutang and Jiang Sumin exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion and doubt in each other's eyes.

Cheng Lanzhou clearly said that this was her first time visiting a brothel, but judging from Su Wan's words, the two must have known each other for a long time and had a close relationship. Otherwise, why would Su Wan have specially arranged a house for her?

Moreover, seeing the other person's expression of being immersed in joy, Jiang Yutang felt an inexplicable sense of irritation.

She turned her head away listlessly and took a small sip of tea.

Jiang Sumin had no interest in asking any further questions, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward.

Seeing their reaction, Su Wan's smile faded slightly.

About half an hour later, footsteps were heard in the courtyard.

As soon as Jiang Yutang stood up, she saw a graceful figure approaching.

Su Wan smiled and said softly, "General Cheng, you've arrived."

Cheng Lanzhou grunted in response but didn't look at her, walking straight toward Jiang Yutang.

He took the teacup that Jiang Yutang had half-emptied, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, as if he was extremely thirsty.

Su Wan stood there, watching his actions, then hesitated and said, "Hehe, I'll pour the general another cup."

Seeing this, Jiang Yutang felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

She tugged at Cheng Lanzhou's belt and deliberately asked, "Why are you so late? We've been waiting for you for ages."

Cheng Lanzhou put down his teacup, reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone apologetic: "I dealt with Judge Li for a while and then went to confirm some things, so I'm late."

His gaze swept over Su Wan, gesturing for her to come over.

"Let me introduce you. Miss Su Wan is one of our own. She has been helping me collect evidence of Li Tongpan's crimes."

Cheng Lanzhou turned to Su Wan and introduced her naturally: "This is my wife, Jiang Yutang, and this is her fourth brother, Jiang Sumin."

"Wife...wife?"

Upon hearing those two words, Su Wan was so surprised that her mouth hung open, and her gaze swept back and forth between Jiang Yutang.

The young man before her was fair-skinned with red lips and had a slender figure. It wasn't until her gaze settled on Jiang Yutang's pierced earlobe that she suddenly realized what was happening, smiled awkwardly, and curtsied slightly: "Greetings, Madam."

Jiang Yutang's slight unease vanished instantly. She took a breath, her chest puffing out slightly involuntarily.

"How's the investigation going?"

Cheng Lanzhou pulled her to sit at the table, his tone calm: "We've already found the location of Magistrate Li's vault."

"So fast?" Jiang Yutang looked surprised.

Cheng Lanzhou nodded and slowly said, "Li Tongpan's official position was not obtained honorably. His father and grandfather were both former officials of the previous dynasty and were wealthy. However, he himself was useless and could not even pass the imperial examination. So his family used their connections and spent a lot of money to buy him this position as Tongpan and sent him to Danzhou to gain experience."

"Buying an official position?" Jiang Yutang grinned and laughed. "This is interesting. If we get evidence that he bought the position, it might be a capital offense, right?"

Cheng Lanzhou shook his head: "It's not certain yet."

"While buying and selling official positions is a serious crime, it also depends on the level of the officials involved. If you're lucky, you might get your property confiscated and be exiled; if you're lucky, you might just be dismissed and investigated."

After hearing this, Jiang Yutang pouted and muttered, "He harmed so many people, but the punishment was barely scratching the surface."

"exile?"

Jiang Su sneered: "Danzhou itself is a place of exile, where else can he be exiled? Besides, his family has been officials for generations. Who knows, he might find a minor official to take the blame, spend some money to smooth things over, and be able to continue his official career in another place."

Jiang Yutang pondered for a moment and felt that what Jiang Sumin said made a lot of sense.

"That's true, but we have to do our best to sentence him to the most severe punishment possible, so he can't get away with it elsewhere. What do we need to do now?"