Chapter Forty: The Dream of Dreams

“Sir.”

“Chang Yuan said he wanted to see what you were busy with, and if there was anything he could help with.”

Qin Fang was quick to respond, immediately shifting the responsibility onto the bearded man.

Chang Yuan shook his head repeatedly, indicating he had nothing to do with this.

Jiang Kui’s eyes wandered, glancing here and there without settling.

“Help?” Li Yunjie rolled his eyes and said, “As a matter of fact, there is something I need your help with.”

Hearing this, Jiang Kui’s interest was piqued, and he clasped his hands in respect. “Please, sir, give your orders.”

Li Yunjie spoke in a solemn tone. “Do any of you know Gu Xian’er?”

The three were stunned upon hearing the name.

“The one you mention, is she not the famed Healing Immortal of Great Qian?”

Li Yunjie nodded. “That’s her.”

“We don’t know her,” they replied in unison.

“May we ask what business you have with the Healing Immortal?” Jiang Kui inquired again.

Li Yunjie sighed. “I have a friend who has recently been troubled by internal heat. I want Gu Xian’er to prescribe a remedy for her.”

“Internal heat?” Jiang Kui was puzzled. “There are countless renowned physicians in the capital, why must it be Gu Xian’er?”

“She’s different,” Li Yunjie sighed. “It’s a case of true energy backlash, blood and qi running amok. The doctors say only Gu Xian’er has a cure.”

When they heard of true energy backlash, the three furrowed their brows in concern.

“That does sound tricky,” Jiang Kui said quietly. “But Gu Xian’er’s whereabouts are unpredictable; finding her is no easy task.”

“Should I send someone to Ming Tower to inquire?” he suggested.

“It’s useless,” Chang Yuan sighed. “Gu Xian’er roams the world and rarely returns to Ming Tower.”

“Since she’s the master of Ming Tower, the people there ought to know something about her, shouldn’t they?” Qin Fang countered.

“That makes sense,” Chang Yuan nodded in agreement.

“Exactly!” Li Yunjie’s mind sparked. “How did I not think of that!”

He finished speaking and hurried out the door.

The three followed, faces full of confusion.

They made their way to Ren’an Street, beneath the Pavilion of Music, and the three were even more bewildered.

“What are we doing here?” Jiang Kui’s expression was uneasy.

Li Yunjie paid no mind, striding straight into the Pavilion.

The three glanced at each other, still in the dark, and could only follow him inside.

“Brother Zichuan!”

Inside, Zhao Hong’s familiar face greeted them.

Seeing Li Yunjie, he cheerfully stepped forward to greet him.

Li Yunjie, with his three subordinates, took seats beside Zhao Hong.

Zhao Hong swept his gaze over the trio. “And these gentlemen?”

“They’re my colleagues from the Court of Judicial Review,” Li Yunjie replied, introducing each one.

Zhao Hong opened his folding fan with flair, hiding his face, and whispered beside Li Yunjie’s ear, “Brother Zichuan, are you showing them around to broaden their horizons?”

Li Yunjie gave an awkward laugh. “You could say that.”

He glanced around the hall and continued, “Is there no poetry gathering today?”

Zhao Hong sighed, his mood somewhat low.

“To be honest, Brother Zichuan,”

“Miss Mengzhi has been unwell lately, so the poetry gathering is temporarily canceled.”

“I see…” Li Yunjie sounded disappointed.

“But,” Zhao Hong whispered again, fan shielding his face, “in recent days, several lovely young ladies have arrived at the Pavilion, beauties beyond compare!”

“Brother Zichuan, you’re in for a treat today!”

Li Yunjie waved dismissively, showing no interest.

He sighed softly and rose to leave.

“Master Li, please wait.”

At that moment, a blue-robed attendant called out to Li Yunjie from the stage.

“Miss Mengzhi invites you to meet her in the inner chamber.”

Li Yunjie paused, perplexed.

Wasn’t Zhou Mengzhi ill?

Wasn’t meeting the courtesan supposed to be reserved for the poetry gatherings?

Where were the rules?

Not only Li Yunjie, but dozens of dignitaries in the hall craned their necks, faces full of astonishment.

All eyes were fixed on Li Yunjie, making him feel uneasy.

“Boss,” Qin Fang watched Li Yunjie’s departing figure, his face full of puzzlement, “as far as I know, the Pavilion’s courtesan isn’t someone ordinary folk can meet.”

Jiang Kui’s expression was grave. “It seems Lord Li is no ordinary man.”

“Obviously,” Zhao Hong declared proudly, “your master is the ‘Little Poet Immortal’ who recently became famous throughout the capital!”

“Little Poet Immortal?” the three chorused.

“‘Drunk, unaware that the sky is reflected in the water; a boat full of lucid dreams presses upon the stars.’ Heard that?”

They nodded vigorously.

“That poem was written by your master!” Zhao Hong exclaimed, beaming with pride.

Chang Yuan realized, “So, the ‘Meng’ character in the poem refers to…”

“Exactly!” Zhao Hong slapped his thigh. “It’s Miss Mengzhi’s ‘Meng’!”

“So that’s it~” the three nodded in understanding.

“A fine poem deserves a fine lady!” Qin Fang applauded excitedly. “Lord Li is truly the epitome of romance!”

“But…” among them, only Jiang Kui sensed something amiss, “doesn’t Lord Li already have a family…”