Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 87's words astonished everyone present.

White Lightning secretly admired Red Moon's literary talent and courage. He actually took a timeless masterpiece by Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty, "Evening River Song," and used the scenery to express his feelings, subtly revealing his true emotions to Red Moon. He then arbitrarily altered it into the quatrain "The Setting Sun Like Blood." It was a brilliant alteration, so brilliant that it made people applaud.

Faced with the alluring Red Moon, Bai Shandian, though tempted and unable to resist, felt a pang of anguish at the thought of his beloved wife and son wandering outside like lost ghosts. In this situation, he could only pretend not to see them, feign deafness and muteness, and instead drink and eat voraciously… Finally, as night fell, he became completely drunk, collapsing under the table with a thud and falling into a deep sleep. Red Moon, startled, immediately stopped playing her zither and singing, rushing to help. However, now without martial arts skills, she struggled to move his tall, imposing body. She quickly called for servants, and finally, with the help of two guards, managed to get Bai Shandian to a guest room to rest. Out of concern for him, Red Moon personally brought a pot of tea and a cup to his room.

Upon entering, her face flushed red. She had witnessed a truly appalling scene: Bai Shandian, intoxicated and feverish, had torn off his robes, revealing his bare chest and disheveled state, sprawled on a single bed, fast asleep. Hong Yueliang, steeling herself, entered the room, poured a glass of water, and personally brought it to Bai Shandian, gently patting his arm to wake him for tea. Unexpectedly, Bai Shandian, dreaming of reuniting with his wife, mistook Hong Yueliang for his beloved wife, and with a large hand, grabbed her, pulling her tightly into his arms! Startled, she screamed and struggled desperately, but Bai Shandian's strong arms were like a sling, impossible to break free from. Having finally reunited with his wife in his dream, Bai Shandian only hoped to earn her forgiveness, and naturally couldn't let go. Her soft, warm body, her rich, fragrant scent, intoxicated him, making him unable to resist, and he kissed her. This was too much for Red Moon to bear. Her face flushed, her heart pounded, and she forgot to struggle, letting him pull her onto the bed...

Because of the suddenness of the situation, the door was still wide open, and Red Moon hadn't had time to close it! She discovered this at that moment, but it was too late. White Lightning muttered in his sleep, "Fist, I will never leave you again... I want to live a good life with you..." and hugged her tightly. How could she break free from his embrace?

Just then, the General's wife, surrounded by several maids, passed by. With sharp eyes, she peeked through the open door and was shocked. She roared, "Which lowly maid is it? So immoral and shameless! How dare she commit such an indecent act during dinner!" Cursing, she led her maids into the room. Upon closer inspection and recognizing her beloved daughter, she was filled with rage and shame, shouting, "You beast surnamed Bai! It's not even dark yet, and you've already defiled my daughter! Don't you know the law is a scorched earth?!" She grabbed a feather duster from the table, went to the bed, and began to beat Bai Shandian mercilessly!

Bai Shandian sobered up instantly. Opening his eyes, he was startled to see a woman curled up in his arms—it was Hong Yueliang! He quickly released her, scrambled out of bed, and jumped off. Straightening his clothes, he stammered awkwardly, "I...I was drunk just now, please forgive me, Madam!" The General's wife retorted angrily, "That's no excuse! My Yue'er is still a virgin! How will she ever marry? You must give me an explanation!" Hong Yueliang, utterly ashamed, fled to her room.

Bai Shandian said sincerely, "A true man acts with integrity and takes responsibility, never shirking or passing the buck. I am willing to take full responsibility for your daughter!" Before the General's wife could say anything, someone at the door interjected, "Take responsibility? Can a married man like you bear such responsibility?" Everyone looked up and saw Hong Chen rushing over from the main hall after hearing the news! It turned out that he was in the General's office preparing to convey the imperial edict with the clerk when a trusted guard came to report that the General's daughter, Hong Yueliang, had been forced into an indecent act by Bai Shandian while drunk, and had been caught red-handed by the General's wife! The General's wife did not know how to handle the matter and urgently asked the General to return to the guest room to make a decision! Upon hearing this, Hong Chen's face changed drastically, and he couldn't help but curse, "Inviting a wolf into the house, raising a tiger to cause trouble, is truly a sin!" He hurriedly ran back.

Hongchen's plump cheeks trembled with rage. Pointing at Bai Shandian's nose, he cursed, "My daughter has extremely high standards; how could she marry you as a concubine? This matter isn't over! Tomorrow morning, we must go to the Lonely Mountain Palace to see the Emperor and ask him to uphold justice and give our Hong family an explanation!" He led the way out of the room. Bai Shandian, not wanting to disturb the Emperor and intending to resolve the matter privately, hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "Lord Hong, let's sit down, calm down, and discuss this further." Without turning his head, Hongchen rebuked him, "Think carefully about your despicable behavior! I've always treated you like family, providing you with good food and drink, and always following your lead. I never expected you... you've disappointed me so much!" He then turned and left. The General's wife glared at him and led her maids away sullenly. For a moment, Bai Shandian stood there dumbfounded, stunned.

The Gushan Imperial Palace is located in the central part of the southern slope of Gushan Mountain, bordering West Lake to the south. The entire complex faces south, with the southern part consisting of the main buildings and the northern part being the rear garden built to take advantage of the terrain of Gushan Mountain. The rear garden is famous for its "Eight Scenic Spots of the Imperial Palace," all built in a garden style, including the Vulture Fragrance Pavilion, Magnolia Pavilion, Stage, Moon-Storing Spring, Imperial Hall, Imperial Stele Pavilion, Green Cloud Path, and Four-Illumination Pavilion, which are very grand and luxurious. Entering from the main palace gate, passing through the hanging flower gate and the moon platform, one arrives at the Memorial Hall, where the Qing emperors conducted their official business.

Early the next morning, Hongchen and Bai Shandian arrived at the Memorial Hall one after the other. Of course, the small Memorial Hall couldn't compare to the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City of Beijing, but it was still built on a high white marble platform, with golden glazed tiles covering the upturned eaves of the roof, and vermilion palace walls, exuding imperial majesty! They solemnly performed the eight kneelings and nine kowtows to Emperor Qianlong, then listened attentively to his instructions. Qianlong slowly swept his majestic gaze across the two of them, finally stopping at Bai Shandian, and said sternly, "Minister Bai, have you completed the task I assigned you yesterday?" Bai Shandian knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, the task was assigned yesterday. I believe that in the near future, all the remnants of the Moqing Society will be captured and handed over to Your Majesty for your personal judgment!"

A hint of relief flashed across Qianlong's eyes, and he smiled slightly, saying, "You and General Hong came here together so early this morning, as if it were pre-arranged! What brings you here?" Before Bai Shandian could speak, Hong Chen interrupted urgently, "Your Majesty, this old minister has a grievance to speak of! Last night at dinner, Lord Bai, as a high-ranking official in charge of state secrets, committed a shameful and immoral act in my residence, forcibly taking my young daughter to bed and attempting to commit such an unsavory act. He truly abused his power and bullied me beyond measure! I beg Your Majesty to grant this old minister justice!" "Your Majesty!" Upon hearing this, Qianlong was greatly surprised. He stood up abruptly, slammed his gavel, and rebuked Bai Shandian: "Such a thing has happened! Bai Shandian, is what General Hong said true?" Bai Shandian dared not conceal the truth, prostrated himself on the ground, and said with a chill in his heart: "Your Majesty, it is indeed true. However... I was drunk at the time and mistakenly thought that my wife had come to my side in my dream, so... I am truly sorry to Miss Hong!" Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Qianlong not only did not fly into a rage, but instead burst into laughter.

This greatly alarmed Bai Shandian. He had long heard that Emperor Qianlong was capricious, as unpredictable as a child's face in June, changing his mind in an instant, faster than turning the pages of a book. He would often be laughing and joking, then suddenly change his mind and kill someone without warning! Hongchen was completely bewildered, staring at Qianlong in astonishment, his expression extremely awkward.

After laughing, Emperor Qianlong exclaimed, "It's truly a case of finding something without even looking for it! I've been racking my brains trying to find a suitable marriage for you, Lord Bai, and unexpectedly, I've found it today! Lord Bai, I wish to bestow upon you General Hong's daughter, Hong Yue Liang, as your wife. What do you say?" His words truly astonished everyone present. Even his four imperial guards and the eunuchs and palace maids were surprised, let alone Bai and Hong Yue Liang!