Feudal Dregs - Chapter 21

Li Ming'an had indeed come to see Lan Yu.

Rumors were swirling through the Li residence, and after overhearing some, Li Ming'an found himself distracted, unable to focus on the book in his hands.

They said Lan Yu had been tied to the bed by his father all night. The next morning, when the servants entered Old Master Li's room, they caught a glimpse—that wanton appearance was even more licentious than the prostitutes in the Eight Great Lanes.

The rumors grew increasingly vulgar, painting Lan Yu as a fox spirit who seduced souls and drained men's essence. Furious, Li Ming'an scolded several servants. But after they retreated meekly, his mind conjured up his first encounter with Lan Yu.

Lan Yu had been sitting in a carriage, the curtain drawn back. Dressed in a simple blue gown, he looked like a celestial being. His curious eyes met Li Ming'an's, and he smiled gently. Perhaps the sun had been too strong that day, stirring restless emotions—Li Ming'an had felt dizzy, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

"Ming'an! Ming'an!" A soft voice called his name, snapping him out of his reverie. His mother, Madam Zhao, stood under the corridor. "What are you thinking about, child? It's raining heavily, and you're not even seeking shelter."

Li Ming'an responded blankly, his ears burning. He adjusted his glasses self-consciously. "N-nothing."

He felt both ashamed and annoyed—how could he have been so lost in thought about Lan Yu?

Unexpectedly, that very night, Li Ming'an had an erotic dream. In it, Lan Yu was bound, his skin as fair as snow, embodying every youthful fantasy of lust. Hazy yet vivid, the dream left Li Ming'an flustered—wanting to look but not daring to.

After a long while, he finally raised his eyes and met Lan Yu's gaze.

Lan Yu smiled at him.

Li Ming'an's mind went completely blank.

When he woke the next morning, the wetness in his pants horrified him, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Lan Yu, of course, remained oblivious to Li Ming'an's youthful turmoil. The rain continued relentlessly, and news spread of the Yellow River flooding, leaving countless displaced and suffering.

On a day when the rain finally eased, Lan Yu suddenly remembered his pipa. He asked Old Master Li for permission to retrieve it. After that night, the old man had been in a better mood and allowed Lan Yu to go out, instructing, "Take the carriage and have servants accompany you."

Lan Yu agreed.

The pipa had been with Lan Yu for years, traveling from Yangzhou to Beijing. Though not the finest instrument, it was one his mother had saved up to buy for him before her death. Unwilling to part with it, he had always kept it close.

The pipa had been entrusted to a music shop for repairs. Upon arrival, Lan Yu identified himself, and the shop staff reverently brought out the instrument. Seeing the restrung pipa, Lan Yu couldn't resist gently stroking its back. With a light pluck, the pipa emitted a soft hum.

A smile touched Lan Yu's lips. "Thank you."

The shopkeeper of the music store smiled and said, "You flatter me, sir. We've just received a pipa of exceptional quality, crafted from rosewood. Even Master Shen, the renowned pipa player from Pudong, praised it highly. Would you like to take a look?"

Lan Yu hesitated for a moment before replying, "Perhaps another day."

The shopkeeper nodded, "Ah, very well. Take care on your way."

As Lan Yu stepped out of the store with the pipa in his arms, the rain began to pour even harder. A servant hurried over with an umbrella and said, "Ninth Concubine, the rain is too heavy. Let's hurry back."

Lan Yu responded indifferently with a hum and boarded the carriage. Inside, he cradled the pipa, occasionally plucking a few strings, the crisp notes drowned out by the torrential downpour.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently. Lan Yu frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Amid the clamor of the rain, the servant shouted, "Ninth Concubine, there are constables ahead driving away refugees! They're heading straight for us!"

Lan Yu opened the carriage door and looked out. Through the curtain of rain, he saw dozens of ragged refugees fleeing like stray dogs, pursued by over a dozen constables clad in straw raincoats and armed with rifles. Lan Yu immediately ordered, "Pull the carriage to the side."

The servant acknowledged, but after days of relentless storms, the road was flooded with filthy water, concealing unseen debris that abruptly trapped the wheels. Suddenly, a gunshot tore through the sound of the rain, chilling to the bone. Startled by the gunfire, the panicked servant lashed the horse hard with his whip. The carriage lurched violently before bolting forward, charging straight toward the refugees.

Lan Yu gasped, gripping the carved interior of the carriage. The horse, now frenzied, sent the refugees scattering in terror as the carriage barreled toward them. Unable to stop, the enraged constables took aim and fired at the horse.

With a deafening bang, the horse collapsed, dragging the entire carriage—and its occupants—into the filthy water.

The leader of the constables bellowed, "Who dares gallop through the streets and disrupt official business?!"

The servant, dazed and groaning in pain, had one leg pinned beneath the carriage's crossbar. Lan Yu crawled out of the wreckage, disheveled, only to find himself staring down the barrels of multiple rifles. His face paled slightly in shock.

The leader snapped, "Answer me!"

Regaining his composure, Lan Yu spoke, "Officer, my deepest apologies. We are from the Li Residence in the eastern part of the city. We were merely passing through on our way home when the horse suddenly went mad and disrupted your duties."

The man narrowed his eyes, studying Lan Yu before his gaze shifted to the Li-family red lantern lying in the mud beside the overturned carriage. He seemed thoughtful but remained silent.

Lan Yu produced a sachet, placing the jade pendant from his waist inside before presenting it with both hands. "A small token of gratitude for your assistance in dispatching the mad horse, officer."

He held out his hands until, after a pause, the man leaned down to take the sachet, weighing it in his palm. "Since you're from the Li household, you'd best return quickly. Don't linger on the streets."

"Thank you, officer. We'll be on our way," Lan Yu replied.

The man waved a hand. "Go."

With that, the dozen horsemen galloped off, their hooves splashing rainwater that drenched Lan Yu completely. He closed his eyes briefly, wiping the water from his face before exhaling deeply.

Turning to the unconscious servant on the ground, Lan Yu began struggling to right the heavy carriage. The downpour soaked him through within moments.

Suddenly, two middle-aged men approached with umbrellas. "Sir... our master requests your presence," one said.

Following their gaze, Lan Yu saw a figure standing at the second-floor window of a nearby fabric shop. Though the rain obscured the man's features, Lan Yu instantly recognized who it was.

"Please take him to the clinic," Lan Yu instructed. After the men agreed, he ducked back into the carriage to retrieve his pipa before joining them under the umbrella.

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