Thousands of lights were lit on the Qinhuai River, like stars, as if the Milky Way in the sky also missed the bustling secular world and flowed into the Qinhuai River, driving away the loneliness of the bright moon through the ages.

Yuan Rong got up and walked to the side of the boat. Yang Ning involuntarily followed him to the side. Seeing that Yuan Rong looked into the distance in the east, Yang Ning followed his eyes and looked in that direction, to see something with bright lights in the distance. It was a huge gaily-painted pleasure-boat, which was rare with five floors. The lights around the pleasure-boat were bright, as if it were in the daytime. It was in majestic splendor.

“That is the boat king.” Yuan Rong laughed. “It is the feast that I will invite you to tonight.”

“Boat king?”

Pearl also came near them and explained, “Before the Spring Festival every year, there is a competition to select the beauty queen. This is an annual grand occasion on Qinhuai River.”

“Select the beauty queen?”

Pearl explained, “Right. The selected eight girls will be in this largest pleasure-boat, and one queen and two concubines will be selected in the end. Once a girl gains the title of beauty queen, she will be one hundred times more valuable. Not to mention her money and treasure, she has a chance to be chosen by a royal family member or nobleman and become a concubine in a wealthy family. So this day of every year is the most lively day on the Qinhuai River.”

Yuan Rong laughed. “If you stay at home and miss such a grand occasion, you will regret it. Moreover, the election of the beauty queen this year is greatly different from that in the past years.”

“Oh? What’s the difference?” Yang Ning asked in surprise.

Yuan Rong said, “The girls joining the election this year are the most beautiful and talented over the years.” He glanced at Pearl and smiled. “Maybe only the election of four years ago can be put on a par with it.”

Pearl smiled charmingly. “Young Master, are you afraid that I will be jealous?”

Yuan Rong laughed loudly and told Yang Ning, “Pearl was the beauty queen selected four years ago and the most outstanding over the years.”

“It turns out that you were the beauty queen, Pearl.” Yang Ning smiled. “You are worthy of the name.”

Pearl chuckled. “I am old and not as beautiful as before.”

“You are still beautiful,” Yang Ning responded with a smile. In fact, he was clear that there were many romances on the long Qinhuai River. Young and beautiful girls showed up every month and day. Pearl was more than twenty years old, so she was an old woman in this field.

Pearl just smiled faintly. “My Lord, Young Master, please drink here first. I am going to check if the pastries are ready.” She bowed gracefully and retreated.

“My Lord, are you wondering why she is still on the Qinhuai River since she was the beauty queen?” Yuan Rong sighed.

Yang Ning nodded slightly. “I do have this question in mind, but she has this pleasure-boat, so she must live a good life.”

Yuan Rong responded, “Of course, this boat is not hers. Four years ago, Pearl became the beauty queen under the support of Young Master Xue from the Treasures House, and he loved Pearl deeply as always. He paid a lot of money and married her. Speaking of Young Master Xue, he is a loyal lover and attached importance to friendship. He kept a good relationship with me those years.”

Yang Ning asked with a frown, “The Treasures House?”

“The Treasures House dealt in antiques and jade articles, one of the top shops in the capital city.” Yuan Rong sighed with emotion. “Young Master Xue was really nice to Pearl and sent six sedans to pick her up on the wedding day.”

“In this case, why is she still on the Qinhuai River now?”

Yuan Rong stated casually, “The Treasures House doesn’t exist anymore, and the members of Young Master Xue’s family were partly dispersed and partly dead. What can Pearl do?”

Yang Ning was stunned.

Yuan Rong explained, “Before Pearl joined the election of the beauty queen, she was famous those years. No only Young Master Xue, another man also liked her. That man and Young Master Xue supported her, but after Pearl won the title of beauty queen, Young Master Xue and that man spent a large amount of money because of her. Young Master Xue’s family was wealthy, so he married her in the end.”

“What happened later?”

“In fact, Young Master Xue was clear that he shouldn’t have offended that man, but in order to marry Pearl, he didn’t care.” Yuan Rong sighed. “He thought that the man would take him as an enemy after that issue, yet he had never expected that the man was so ruthless. In only one year, that man harmed the Treasures House and made it decline. Then Young Master Xue’s family was destroyed, and he died in the end because of that man’s scheme. Pearl lived a good life for less than one year and then was snatched by that man. After one year, she was sent back to the Qinhuai River.”

Yang Ning hadn’t expected that Pearl suffered so much. He asked while frowning, “Who is that man?”

Yuan Rong answered, “In fact, you know him, too. The first son of the minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Dou Lianzhong.”

“It’s him!” Yang Ning trembled.

Yuan Rong sneered. “This man has grabbed and plundered too many things by cajolery and coercion and killed countless people. Young Master Xue was only one of the debts of blood he owed.” He raised his hand and pointed at the Qinhuai River with a scene of gaiety and many lights. “There are a lot of pleasure-boats on the long Qinhuai River, and many of them are under the control of Dou Lianzhong. He makes much money depending on these boats every year.”

“So Pearl is also under his control now?” Yang Ning asked with a frown.

Yuan Rong just smiled faintly and didn’t speak.

At this time, they suddenly heard a loud voice. “Pearl, my master told you to come. Hurry up and make preparations.”

Yang Ning looked in the direction of the voice, to see that a small boat stopped next to this pleasure-boat, and somebody looked up and shouted at this boat, in an arrogant tone.

Then he heard the maid’s voice. “My lady won’t see any guests today.”

“She won’t see any guests?” That man sneered. “Tell Pearl not to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. We ask her to come because we are kind to her. Don’t be ungrateful.”

The maid responded, “My lady won’t see anybody. We don’t drink a forfeit or a toast.”

The man in the small boat sneered. “Okay. Tell her not to regret it.” He turned the small boat and left quickly.

Yuan Rong furrowed his brows and said, “It appears that she will be in trouble.”

“Why will she be in trouble?” Yang Ning asked casually. “Since she doesn’t want to see guests, she will just refuse. Is there somebody who dares to force her?”

Yuan Rong responded, “There are all kinds of people on the Qinhuai River. The people of exceptional abilities in gangdom, royal family members or noblemen, graceful scholars, everybody has a powerful background.”

Yang Ning glanced sideways at Yuan Rong. “You kept a good relationship with Young Master Xue? I want to know how you helped him when he was in need. After his family was destroyed and Pearl was reduced to poverty outside, did you help him take care of them?” He put his hands behind his back. “Do you come here to help her occasionally now because you felt guilty in front of him?”

Yuan Rong’s canthus trembled slightly. He turned to Yang Ning and saw that this guy was at leisure. He sighed and said, “My Lord, in fact, I always doubt if you have been playing dumb all the time those years.”

They heard some footsteps as Pearl came over from behind with exquisite pastries in her hand. She stated with a smile, “My Lord, Young Master, I knew that you would come today, so I made some pastries this morning. Have a taste and check if it is delicious.”

Yang Ning and Yuan Rong returned to the table and saw several kinds of pastries on the tray. They were heated just now, with hot air. The pastries looked beautiful and were exquisitely made.

“Pearl, you are excellent in cooking.” Yang Ning smiled. “Look at these kinds of pastries. It will take many days to learn it.”

Pearl smiled and said gloomily, “In the past, somebody liked to eat the pastries I made, so I made a lot of effort to learn it. After I learnt it well, he…” She sighed and looked dejected.

Yang Ning knew that the person she mentioned must be Young Master Xue.

Suddenly a scream was heard from downstairs, and a girl shouted, “What do you want?” After some noises, they heard heavy footsteps on the stairs. Obviously, some people were rushing upstairs.

Yuan Rong frowned, and Pearl turned pale, while Yang Ning was at leisure, putting a cake in his mouth. It was soft and delicious. He highly praised, “Good job.”

As soon as he finished his words, he heard a cold voice from behind. “Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t see guests? Who are they? A bitch is a bitch. You do everything sneakily.”

Yuan Rong got up all of a sudden and said coldly, “Who told you to break in? Get out of here now.”

“Isn’t this Master Yuan?” That man laughed. “Master Yuan, you are from a family of scholars. If you want to see a bitch, you should see a pure one. Will you take a fancy to such a faded beauty?”

He knew Yuan Rong evidently but didn’t fear him at all. And he didn’t even show respect to Yuan Rong. He spoke rudely with sarcasm.

Yang Ning turned his head and saw that three or four burly guys rushed up. All of them were tall and big. The one in the front was fierce-looking with a prominent nose and wide mouth, and his beard was short and dense like needles. He clenched his fists.

Yuan Rong said harshly, “Show some respect.”

“We are not like you from a scholarly family, Master Yuan. We are uneducated and don’t know how to speak like a book.” The man with a prominent nose sneered and then turned to Pearl, asking in a deep voice, “You have been told to come. Don’t you understand? Do you want to court death?”

“Who dares to lay a finger on her?” Yuan Rong was gentle as a scholar but still clenched his fists. “Get out now.”

The man with a prominent nose laughed loudly. “Lay a finger on her? Master Yuan, among all men on the Qinhuai River, perhaps only you haven’t touched her. Do you really have no idea or play dumb? She is a bitch and can have sex with any man. We know how many hairs are on her body. Shall we tell you?”

He had such a crude mouth, but the people behind him laughed loudly, looking unbridled.

Yang Ning had thought that although Yuan Rong was learned and weak, after all, he was a grandson of the minister of the Ministry of Rites and a descendent of a high official. The ordinary people didn’t dare to offend this young master, yet he had never expected that those people didn’t take him seriously at all.

Yuan Rong gritted his teeth and his fair-skinned face blushed, but he was a scholar and couldn’t start a fight even if he wanted to.

The man with a prominent nose howled at Pearl, “What are you doing? Don’t dillydally. Our master and the guests are waiting for you. Don’t ruin their good mood. Otherwise, you will suffer a lot. Why not go with us?”

Pearl looked ghastly pale and smiled sadly, saying to Yuan Rong, “Young Master, please have fun here first. I am going and will come back as soon as possible.”

“I don’t think they need to wait.” The man laughed. “You will serve a lot of people tonight and perhaps can’t come back soon.”