Before His Five-Hundred-Tael Banknote Had Even Warmed, Pu Yunshan Found Hongxiu Being Pressed for Debt

He raised his hand and put the pill into his mouth. As soon as the pill broke, a fishy smell rushed into his throat. Gu Mochen swallowed hard and then picked up the cold tea and forced it down.

Chen Qing's eyes lit up immediately.

"If Your Highness takes this pill, you will be immune to all evil spirits."

Gu Mochen stood up, put on his fox fur coat, and swept the grain price book on the table to the ground with his sleeve.

Prepare the horses.

"Today, I will personally visit the soup kitchen to let the people of Anyang know who truly cares about them."

"No, Your Highness, that's a place where refugees gather."

"No? Huaili, you might as well change your name to Zhou Buxu. You stop me from doing whatever I do. Gu Moran can get along with the common people, but I can't?"

The snow on South Street had been trampled into mud.

A long queue formed in front of the porridge stall. The rice soup in the pot was so thin that you could see your reflection in it. Several children squatted by the stall pillars, holding broken bowls. The cold wind blew in through their thin collars, making their noses run and their mouths snot.

An old woman wrapped in a tattered cotton-padded coat pushed the bowl forward, gazing at the grains of rice floating in the pot, and couldn't help but mutter.

"... I'm not going to win... Is this porridge just dishwater?"

The man next to her quickly grabbed her sleeve and whispered, "Ma'am, say less. People from the Prince's mansion are here."

The old woman shrank her neck, but couldn't help but say, "I'm telling you, this porridge is way too watery. My husband is too sick to get out of bed; what good will this bowl do?"

The steward in charge of distributing the porridge said with a dark face, "You should be grateful to have anything to drink, and you're all being picky. Her Highness the Princess is trying to bring good fortune to her unborn grandson, and you all act like you're collecting debts."

The man clutched the bowl in his hand, his lips blue with cold, and muttered under his breath, "If I could afford rice to cook, who would bring their whole family here in this snowy weather to be looked down upon?"

Gu Mochen's entourage was turning in from the street corner.

The golden-topped carriage stopped outside the soup kitchen. The guards first dispersed the crowd, and Prince An stepped down on a footstool, his fox fur coat draped over his shoulders. He had been maintaining his composure, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, a surge of restlessness rose in his chest.

The heat rose from his abdomen, making his ears burn and sweat quickly bead on his forehead.

Gu Mochen raised his hand and pulled open his collar, letting the cold wind rush into his neck, which he couldn't suppress at all.

Zhou Huaili, who was standing beside him, noticed that his face was flushed and quickly asked, "Has Your Highness caught a cold?"

"It's alright." Gu Mochen pushed his hand away. "I can feel the effects of the medicine now."

Chen Qing, standing behind, looked smug upon hearing this.

"The prince looks much more energetic and spirited!"

Several carriages stopped at the other end of South Street. Several ladies from wealthy families got out of the carriages with their female relatives. They were on their way to the temple to offer incense. The snow was slippery, so their maids helped them around the muddy water in front of the soup kitchen.

One of the young women wore a mink cloak, had rouge on her face, and raised her hand to adjust the gold hairpin in her hair.

Gu Mochen's gaze fell upon it, and the scene before him suddenly blurred.

The woman's makeup became glaringly obvious to him, the fragrance wafting into his chest, and the burning desire within him intensified. He even heard Chen Qing's words, "Immune to all evils," echoing in his ears.

What a nice view.

Gu Mochen wiped his nose; his palm was covered in blood.

He stared at the woman, forcing out a voice, "Don't go!"

The woman froze in place, terrified.

Gu Mochen shook off Zhou Huaili and charged straight into the crowd. His fox fur coat dragged in the snow and mud. His guards did not expect him to make a sudden move and were a step too late when they rushed forward.

The woman screamed and backed away, her skirt tripping over a stone in the snow. Her maidservant cried and tried to stop her, but Gu Mochen pushed her away.

"Your Highness!"

Zhou Huaili's face changed, and he rushed forward with his men to grab Gu Mochen's waist. Two guards held his arms tightly, but Gu Mochen was still struggling, blood dripping from his nose and repeatedly shouting, "Don't go."

There was a brief silence in front of the soup kitchen.

Then someone burst out laughing.

What's wrong with Prince An?

"Is he possessed by an evil spirit?"

"What's wrong with him? He looks more like he's taken too much aphrodisiac."

"Don't talk nonsense! If the prince hears you, he'll skin you alive!"

Merchants peeked out from behind their doors, while refugees stood in the snow with empty bowls in their hands. Even the children who had been crying earlier had forgotten to cry, and just stared wide-eyed as several guards dragged Prince An into the carriage.

Chen Qing stood there, mouth agape, not understanding what was going on.

But the prince did indeed mingle with the common people.

Yi Prefecture City.

The wind swept in from outside the city walls, drying my face.

Pu Yunshan stood at the entrance of the Flower-Between Pavilion, bowing his head to straighten his newly changed brocade robe. The robe was sent by Uncle Fu to Gu Moran that morning; the color was well-balanced, and a white jade pendant adorned his waist.

The five-hundred-tael silver note was pressed against his chest, so hot that he couldn't help but touch it twice as he walked.

Gu Moran said this was an advance payment for his resettlement.

Pu Yunshan didn't ask what the resettlement allowance was; he just felt that the prince had finally recognized his abilities and that he deserved it.

The girl in front of the Flower-Between Pavilion saw him, raised her round fan, and smiled.

" Young Master Pu even more impressive today."

"The girl in Hongxiu is on the second floor. She was mentioning you this morning."

Pu Yunshan's ears burned, and just as he was about to step inside, a sound of something being smashed came from inside the building, followed by a girl running down from the second floor crying.

His heart sank, and he quickly went upstairs, lifting the hem of his robe.

Several burly men were blocking the door of the music room. The leader had a scar on half his face and was holding an IOU in his hand, banging on the door with the back of his knife.

The madam stood in the way, verbally advising, but didn't budge an inch.

" Master Ma, Miss Hongxiu hasn't had an easy time these days either. Please grant me two more days."

Master Ma spat. "Stop arguing with me about this. Her good-for-nothing brother borrowed money from the Caoyun Gang, it's written in black and white, five hundred taels. He can't come up with the money today, so he sent Qin Hongxiu down to keep him company with drinks."

The door opened from the inside.

Qin Hongxiu stepped out, leaning against the doorframe. Her face was unmade-up, and she had some dark circles under her eyes. She wore only a thin jacket over her red dress and clutched a handkerchief in her hand.

" Master Ma," she said softly, "I'll find a way to raise the money. Please don't make a scene in the building; it's not good to disturb others."

Master Ma slammed the IOU in front of her. "Make up for it? What are you going to use to make up for it? Your younger brother lost money gambling and disappeared without a trace, and now you, his older sister, are going to have to pay for it."

Upon hearing this, Pu Yunshan's hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

When Qin Hongxiu saw him, her expression changed, and she quickly walked over to stop him.

" Young Master Pu, what brings you here?"

"Are these people forcing you?"

"No." Qin Hongxiu removed his hand from the sword hilt; her palm was very cold. "It's a matter for my family; you shouldn't have seen it."

Master Ma looked Pu Yunshan up and down, then grinned.

"Oh, Miss Hongxiu has found a backer. That outfit is quite expensive; is she going to pay off her debts?"

Pu Yunshan looked up.

Give me an IOU.

Master Ma held up the IOU: "Five hundred taels, not a penny less."

Qin Hongxiu stood in front of Pu Yunshan, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice trembling. "Young master, don't interfere. He's a member of the Caoyun Gang; they control all the waterways in Central Shu. If you wound him with your sword, all the merchant caravans going out of the city to buy goods will be implicated."