After the performances had progressed for quite a while, Kang Xian finally came down from the main boat and made his way back to his own vessel. He greeted several people on the first floor before heading upstairs. Upon encountering some younger family members, he exchanged a few pleasantries, but when he glanced towards the side of the pleasure boat, he found the scene a bit peculiar.
There were actually two pairs of people watching the performance while simultaneously playing chess by the window.
"How strange it is," Kang Xian remarked. "Every time I see you, it's always you, this young lad, looking so relaxed—it's truly infuriating. The young ladies below are putting their all into their performances, and here you are, distracted by two activities at once. Aren't you afraid someone will see and scold you for wasting such a good seat?" Each time he met Ning Yi, he couldn't help but jab at him. Then, noticing the chessboard, he expressed his confusion, "Oh? This chess game looks quite odd…"
Turning to look out the other window, he saw that the game between the siblings was similarly peculiar. The older sister frowned in annoyance, calculating her moves with a piece in hand, while the younger brother seemed excited, saying, "Sister, if you don't block here, you'll lose!"
This was a situation Kang Xian had never encountered before. After Ning Yi explained the rules of this five-in-a-row game with a smile, he suddenly understood: "You really know how to find amusing ways to pass the time." Glancing back at the children, he saw that the sister had already lost. One of them called out, "Uncle!" while the other chimed in, "Prince consort grandfather." Kang Xian then smiled and introduced them to each other.
"It seems you've already met. This is the Ning Yi you often inquire about, Ning Li Heng… Li Heng, these two are young members of the family—sister Pei and brother Jun Wu. One is thirteen, the other is eleven. Pei is quite the talented girl in our family; she's been eager to see you for a long time."
Kang Xian was pleased with his introduction, but the two children's faces darkened, especially the sister, who turned her head away in displeasure. The brother complained, "Uncle, he just tricked me into thinking he's not Ning Li Heng."
Kang Xian was slightly taken aback. After hearing the full story from them, he laughed, "You, child, come here trying to quiz someone, of course, you won't get a good result. Remember this lesson for the future… Li Heng too, always acting like a king among children, constantly thinking of ways to entertain them… Um, Pei, Jun Wu, do you have any questions left? I guarantee he'll answer you."
The girl named Pei turned her head and scoffed, "Hmph, if he's afraid of being quizzed, he must not have true knowledge and is feeling guilty. I've already come to a conclusion, so it's fine if I don't ask!" With that, she walked to the side to collect the pieces. Jun Wu smiled and said, "Then I won't ask either; I'll just play chess with my sister." Usually, when they played Go, he would never win against his sister, but now, having learned this five-in-a-row game, he won several rounds, making him quite happy. His dislike for Ning Yi diminished. As for Pei, her irritation with Ning Yi likely stemmed partly from the five-in-a-row game, but she was stubborn and continued playing against her brother, aiming to regain her lost ground.
Since someone had come to speak, Xiao Chan had actually stood up from her seat. Kang Xian sat down with a smile and casually placed a piece on the half-finished chessboard. "It's quite amusing to think that Xiao Chan calls you 'Uncle,' while they have to call me 'Uncle.' In the past, someone called me 'prince consort,' and now it's 'prince consort grandfather.' Haha, this generational title just adds a word to make it a generation longer…"
He then recalled and gestured to the two children, lowering his voice, "The two children from the Kang Wang family, Zhou Yong, often speak highly of you. They've been eager to meet you. Pei is indeed a talented girl from the Zhou family, well-versed in poetry and literature, mastering many skills quickly, but what's most impressive is her arithmetic. Last year, when the family was accounting, the little girl could calculate all the numbers in a ledger without an abacus, all without error. Her brother, Jun Wu, is of slightly more mediocre talent, often being ordered around by his formidable sister—quite amusing, indeed…"
Ning Yi looked back and saw the girl named Zhou Pei staring intently at the board, frowning as she thought about her moves, and couldn't help but glare at Ning Yi. Ning Yi smiled, "It seems he has found the only game he can win against his sister."
The performances continued below, and Kang Xian, of course, couldn't linger with the young ones for too long. After playing a half-game of the leftover chess, and after getting a grasp on what five-in-a-row was about, he departed. Meanwhile, Ning Yi and Xiao Chan watched the performances, while the sibling pair continued their five-in-a-row game. Interestingly, the girl named Zhou Pei, despite not winning the earlier rounds, didn't suggest switching to Go or quitting altogether. Instead, she kept playing and seemed to be slowly turning the tide by the end.
After a splendid night of performances, the event concluded with a grand announcement of the four leaders of the brothels: the previous year's courtesan, Feng Xiaojing; Qilan, supported by the Puyang family; Yuan Jiner from Jinfeng Tower; and the newcomer, Luo Miaomiao. Last year's leader, Lu Caicai, had unfortunately not made the cut.
Ning Yi was there solely to watch the performances, and such rankings held no significance for him. Overall, he found the evening enjoyable, and everything had gone smoothly. As the venue began to disperse, some people were still socializing and networking, while many others headed toward the exits. After Ning Yi and Xiao Chan disembarked, they could vaguely hear some commotion coming from the entrance. From the conversations around them, it seemed that a group of supporters for Lu Caicai had become disgruntled and gotten into a verbal altercation with others, leading to a small scuffle.
Incidents like this were not uncommon; they occurred every year in various forms. It was not a serious issue, and the soldiers tasked with maintaining order had already rushed over, so it would likely be quelled shortly. On the main boat, many officials and nobles were still mingling. For many, the night's revelry was far from over, as there was a banquet to attend afterward. Kang Xian was also there, saying goodbye to others. When Ning Yi and Xiao Chan approached, he smiled and told them not to rush off: "My boat is also heading back; we can leave together later. You two didn't come by carriage, so walking back might tire you out."
As the crowd dispersed near and far, the lights began to stretch from the roads towards Jiangning City. After a moment, the crowd thinned out, but then an unexpected incident occurred in Ning Yi's line of sight. Perhaps due to the warm weather, someone in a large tent behind the stage had knocked over a candle, igniting a fire on the riverbank, which quickly engulfed the tent and surrounding items in flames.
People from the nearby brothels rushed out. Fortunately, there weren't many people left in the area—mostly officials, dignitaries, their entourages, soldiers, and a few lingering spectators—so a stampede was unlikely. Some were shouting, "Quick, go extinguish the fire…" Many rushed toward the scene. Ning Yi recalled Nie Yunzhu and instructed Xiao Chan to stay put for a moment while he followed the crowd. On his way, he encountered Nie Yunzhu coming towards him. As for Yuan Jiner, having secured her spot among the four leaders, she was surrounded by a throng of admirers and had no issues of her own.
"That's the tent from the Fragrant Pavilion; it's quite far from us," Nie Yunzhu said. "At first, it was alarming to hear the water had gone out. But thankfully, no one got burned; everyone managed to escape. However, that tent is enormous, and now putting the fire out won't be easy…"
From a distance, the blaze at the riverbank appeared impressive, primarily due to the large tent and numerous nearby items. However, it was unlikely to spread too far. At this point, it was just a matter of watching the group of people heroically attempt to put out the fire. Ning Yi made his way back up the hillside, found Xiao Chan, and leisurely resumed watching the spectacle. Everything was still normal; the flames posed no real threat, so they could simply wait to head home.
As he stood there pondering this, he nearly yawned when a sudden thought crossed his mind, causing him to pause for a moment.
He looked down at the fire scene, then back at the crowd, searching for clues as some threads of connection began to take shape in his mind. That's right… When the flames erupted, the commander of the Wu Lie army, Chen Yong, had shouted, "You all go extinguish the fire…" He wasn't just calling the soldiers assigned to maintain order; some of the personal guards were also active around the fire scene…
The reason for summoning them was that many people outside were leaving, and with the unexpected altercation, the officials' arrangements could not keep pace. At this moment, there were not many soldiers left here…
"That's the large tent from the Fragrant Pavilion..." Yunzhu said. The Fragrant Pavilion was where Chen Yong from the Wu Lie army had previously supported the top courtesan. Ning Yi turned to look… the top courtesan from the Fragrant Pavilion was standing right next to Chen Yong… which explained why he had called his personal guards over…
Unable to find Song Xian, it seemed he was busy; he likely left to handle matters as the crowd dispersed. Then the fire broke out, and Chen Yong ordered his guards to extinguish it. Song Xian had left some of his personal guards behind, but they had already departed…
A strong wind blew in, fanning the flames on the riverbank, causing the fire to leap higher. Ning Yi's expression fluctuated; he had considered numerous plans while in the crowd last night, thinking about how he might kill Song Xian. However, the situation was different now—tonight, he hadn't thought of these things. But now, reflecting on it, if he intended to kill Song Xian, and if these two small incidents weren't mere coincidences…
After a moment, he took Xiao Chan's hand and walked towards Kang Xian nearby. Xiao Chan's face was flushed. "Auntie, auntie, uncle, uncle…"
"Master Kang, do you have a carriage ready here?"
"Is Li Heng in a hurry?"
"I just remembered something urgent; I might need to head back with Xiao Chan first."
"Alright." Kang Xian nodded without further elaboration. "I'll have A Gui take you over."
Soon after, a carriage marked with the prince consort's insignia left the venue and turned onto the main road. Although many travelers were returning to Jiangning along the sides of the road, there was still space in the center for the carriage to move at a moderate speed. Ning Yi occasionally flicked the whip, his gaze directed toward Jiangning City at the end of the road. The crowd dispersing from the event had already begun to approach the city gates…
Two carriages marked with the Wu Lie army insignia entered Jiangning City, weaving through the streets.
Not long after, the competition at Bai Lu Zhou had concluded, and most people had not yet returned to Jiangning. It was getting late; those who stayed in Jiangning had likely already gone to sleep. The two carriages moved through the city's streets, both bright and dark, heading toward the city gates at the other end. The sounds of wheels and hooves clopped rhythmically, swiftly leaving behind the alternating light and shadow of the road. About halfway through, they found themselves on a relatively open yet quiet stretch, with shops on either side already closed. Various stalls, garbage, and signs lined the streets; some rooms glimmered with light, and a few dim lanterns hung at the corners. Just as the sound of the whip cracked, the coachman of the carriage ahead shouted, "Who goes there!"
The answer came in the next moment, like two beams of light colliding. Upon contact, they tore apart from each other in an instant!
Destruction, shattering, disintegration, and a sea of blood—