Chapter 202 It was good to be a woman
He Danggui asked Feng Yang to help her hide it from Madam Luo that “a Lord has taken a fancy to her”. Although Feng Yang immediately agreed to her, he also kindly reminded her that she could hide it for a while, but could not for a lifetime. The Lord would ask someone to propose a marriage to her sooner or later. Feng Yang saw He Danggui’s facial expression as rigid as a stone statue. He wondered whether this was the way that all women react to men’s affection. So, he described Lord Ning’s appearance and talent in detail. He said that even if Lord Ning didn’t have the status of a Lord, he was also a handsome figure like a banished immortal. With his identity and power, as well as his bright future, his women would be the most promising women definitely.
He Danggui wanted to laugh at these words. Up to now, she still wanted to laugh at the thought of these words. So, she laughed at Bai Yangbai, who worn a mask of Feng Yang. She said softly, “How could we as grassroots and women who are humble to survive have anything to do with great personages like Lord Ning. In fact, the matter was like this. One year, Lord Ning came to Yangzhou for a private visit. I didn’t know that he was a high-ranking man who I could not offend, and I offended him once. At that time, he had a chance to kill me, but he said that killing me with a knife would be too boring. Before I tasted the fear of death, I should be driven half-crazy by the fear of hanging a sword on my head and the desperation that accompanies me. Then, he’ll take my life.”
“Really?” Bai Yangbai exclaimed, “When has he become so shameless? Even the little girl was also frightened by him. What repulsive addiction he has!” Because Bai Yangbai was so surprised, he even forgot to imitate the voice of Feng Yang with the ventriloquism. After saying this, he reacted and raised his hand to cover the mouth, but he could not hold back the words he said.
He Danggui sneered and asked, “Brother Qianjun, what’s going on? No more acting? I’m still waiting to play with you.”
Bai Yangbai opened his eyes in surprise, and said in a low voice, “You have recognized that I am not Feng Yang, and you are making fun of me. No wonder you are so enthusiastic and active. You show your love to me as soon as you come up. It’s not your usual character. When you were good with Duan, if you had half of the present initiative, you two would have lived happily ever after.”
“It’s clear that you made fun of me first. Of course, I’m very grateful that you dressed up as Feng Yang to help me out.” He Danggui snorted and said, “However, you did not give me a hint in the first place. Then, you disguised as Feng Yang and talked to me. You even asked if you can be my umbrella. I’m confused. I think that Feng Yang may be insane. Unexpectedly, he loved women instead of men.”
Bai Yangbai touched his nose embarrassedly and then argued, “But Feng Yang didn’t say that he didn’t love women. Maybe the women his mother gave to him were not good. He must be reluctant to leave someone like you in the ice cellar, and he will be very fond of you. How about that, girl? I helped you all night, playing the role of an old woman, a servant girl, and a romantic brother. And I only charged you 20 liang silver for my performance. You should tell me the truth to satisfy my curiosity that why do you tremble unconsciously when you hear the names of Feng Yang and Quan. Did Quan really threaten you like that? How did you offend him? I’m curious!”
He Danggui shrugged her shoulders and told him a brief progress about how she had offended Lord Ning. Then she said, “He has already been offended, and it is meaningless to investigate the past again. After I offended Lord Ning, I thought he would kill me. But he left Yangzhou on the next day. I was secretly glad that I survived. However, after a period of time, Feng Yang found me and said that it was not so easy to let me go. Lord Ning is a very vengeful person. He just thought that killing me directly was not enjoyable, so he saved my life. When I grew up, he would put me in his palace and torture me to death. I’m scared to death by such threats. So, as soon as I heard the names of those two people, I couldn’t help but shake.”
Bai Yangbai’s mouth was widely opened, as if he could not understand the meaning of He Danggui’s words. After a long time, he said, “You mean, you have been ordered by Quan, haven’t you? No wonder! No wonder you are indifferent to other men. But how did you seduce Quan? He has critical eyes!” Then his tone suddenly became sour and sarcastic in his sharp voice, “I suddenly have a feeling that the top men in the Ming Dynasty will all like you. Tut-tut, you let the heroes of the world bend down for you. It’s really envious. I want to be a woman, too.”
He Danggui was speechless about Bai Yangbai’s understanding ability, so she told him in the most solemn tone, “I’m very sure that the Lord Ning doesn’t even have affection between man and women for me. Even if he likes Luo Baiqiong, Sun Meiniang, and Biddy Wen, he won’t like me. I really offended him several times by my words, and accidentally showed a little talent of mine, so he wanted me to work for him and become a female killer. Brother Qian, you know the Lord Ning well. You must understand that a big shot like him would ever take little girls seriously, right? I’m just a little Go stone on the Go board.”
“You...” Bai Yangbai hesitantly asked, “Do you know the relationship between Quan and me?” Otherwise, how could she repeatedly mention the enemy with him and “bribe” him with a lot of money to help her deal with the enemy. He originally thought that the enemy was someone like Guan Mo or Sun Meiniang’s younger brother Sun Yanbin. It turned out that the enemy was Quan!
He Danggui didn’t know how to explain that she knew the teacher-student relationship between Bai Yangbai and Zhu Quan, so she had to make a perfunctory remark for the time being, “Well, Feng Yang mentioned something to me. After analysis and speculation, I thought you might be a teacher of Lord Ning. In my heart, since the Lord Ning has been quite polite to you, why don’t you help me to mediate the relationship with Lord Ning? Then we can bury the hatchet, forget each other in Jianghu and not visit each other all our lives.”
Hearing this, Bai Yangbai felt funny. He frowned and said, “Girl, since you want me to be your lobbyist, you should tell me about the cause and effect. How can I help you if you refuse to tell me the truth?”
He Danggui blinked her eyes in doubt and asked, “Is what I said not clear enough? Here is the truth. Three years ago, I escaped from the clutches of the Lord Ning. After that, Feng Yang, the emissary of the Lord Ning, came to me and sent me a threatening letter from the Lord Ning. Then, Lord Ning sent threatening letters at set intervals. That’s why I’m so afraid of him.”
Bai Yangbai raised eyebrows and asked, “Threatening letter? Do you mean that Quan wrote you a threatening letter?”
“Yes.” He Danggui nodded sincerely. In her eyes, those luminous pearls and blood corals were not different from threatening letters. She continued, “Originally, I wanted to go to Meng’s Family to avoid the limelight, but you could see Meng Xuan’s attitude. It seemed that once I get the name of his concubine, I have to lock myself in his house all my life, and I can’t deal with anyone any more. Besides, I don’t have such a good friendship with Meng Xuan, and I don’t want him to incur hatred with the Lord Ning for me. Therefore, you are the most suitable person to rescue me.”
Bai Yangbai looked at He Danggui’s face and asked slowly, “How can I help you as ‘the best candidate’? Although I’m the teacher of Quan in name, he is a Lord in the high position. I’m just a grass-roots person. A ‘teacher’ sounds good, but to put it bluntly, I’m a senior aide and an invisible retainer. Can you understand that? I don’t have the ability to dictate to him about what to do or not to do. Girl, I also want to help you. But if you want me to be your lobbyist, you have to give me a specific speech, right? I have no idea about the past of you two, so it’s useless to intercede for you.” He said with a bit of demagogic at the end of the sentence. And he thought, “Go ahead. What is my value for you?”
Oh, he thought this girl was the only one who didn’t make friends with him because he was the Taoist Sage. It turned out that she was making friends for the sake of making use of it. Her warm, natural, and intimate attitude towards him were quite different from those towards other men, which was just for the sake of an old feud with the Lord Ning three years ago. It turned out that the girl who was full of stories and lies was still a complete mystery to him.
He Danggui hesitated for a moment and muttered, “Well, if it doesn’t work, you can go and tell Lord Ning…that you’re going to marry me... And I heard from Feng Yang that Lord Ning still respected you. Naturally, he can’t rob a woman from his teacher. Besides, he also took advantage of me. If you tell him that you want to marry me, he may think that I have become a member of his faction, so he won’t distress me. Do you think whether this will work?” He Danggui felt that Bai Yangbai looked at her strangely, so she added, “If you are willing to help me with this, I will certainly thank you. I will never refuse whatever you want. Silver or other, I promise you all!”
At last, Bai Yangbai couldn’t help to sneer. He said, “What a girl! How difficult is it if you want to bribe me into working for you? Why didn’t you say it three years ago? As long as the price is right, I will help you do this, and become your cheap husband. Do you have to take so long time to tell me?”
He Danggui was stunned and told the truth, “Three years ago, I didn’t think it. I didn’t expect to ask you to help me. This countermeasure is also my temporary thought. What’s the matter? You were willing to run errands for me three years ago, but not after three years, weren’t you? Are you afraid that I can’t offer the price, or that I’ll fail? If you can’t believe me, I can make a document for you. As long as you help me get rid of Lord Ning, I’ll be willing to pay as much as you want.”
Bai Yangbai chuckled and said, “Girl, sometimes silver is very useful, but sometimes it’s not as effective as you think. Originally, I still wanted to eat and drink with you for a period of time, and then I would like to ask for your money. But now I don’t want your silver again.” Seeing that He Danggui showed a little anxious expression, Bai Yangbai comforted her, “Don’t worry. I didn’t say that I couldn’t help you. I just wanted to change the reward. Since you don’t want to marry Duan Xiaolou, Meng Xuan, or Zhu Quan, are you going to become a Taoist nun? Why don’t we become a couple and practice together?”
“Well, what practice? I have already been your master.” He Danggui didn’t understand Bai Yangbai’s meaning. She asked, “Do you mean that you’re willing to help me only if I have to become a Taoist nun in your Daguomen Sect?”
“No, I mean, if you really want to marry me, I’ll tell Zhu Quan that his master will have a wife.”
Hearing this, He Danggui carefully studied Bai Yangbai’s look. Then she tilted and said, “Uncle Bai, what are you angry about? Do you blame me for pulling you into my own mess? Or do you think I hurt your feelings by talking about money? What I do is for your own good. You are the neediest person I have ever met. We are good master and disciple. We should settle accounts clearly. Isn’t this the kindest to you? Do you really mind about that?”
“Well, you can think that I care about the matter.” Bai Yangbai nodded his head and said, “I think you don’t want to marry anyone. You asked monogamy to Meng Xuan and Duan Xiaolou but failed. And you also look down on those who are inferior to them. It’s futile to wait for ten years. You just give them hope and make them languish for you. But I suddenly feel that you are a girl who is more ‘tender sweet’ than silver. I want to be your umbrella that can be used at any time. If I marry you, I can also cut off Duan Xiaolou’s expectation. It’s a good thing to achieve many things at one stroke. What do you think, girl?”
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