The wealthy patron was soon welcomed into the room by the brothel madam.
He glanced at her and said, "You can go now." Having her around felt more like a hindrance.
The brothel madam took a five-tael gold ingot from the patron's hand, her eyes narrowing into a smile as she replied, "Miss Qianqian's musical skills are exceptional. Enjoy yourself, sir." With that, she swayed out of the room.
A curtain divided the room, with Qianqian behind it and the patron outside. This gave the room an air of hazy beauty.
Sitting behind the curtain, Qianqian asked quietly, "Sir, may I ask what piece you would like to hear?"
The patron replied, "Play 'Guangling San 📹'."
Qianqian paused her hands. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm unfamiliar with that piece." It wasn't that she couldn't play it; she just didn't feel like playing it, and it wouldn't sound good anyway.
The patron continued, "Then play 'Guanshan Yue 📹'."
Hearing him mention two pieces so casually, Qianqian realised he truly understood music, and she no longer hesitated. In a deep voice, she replied, "Alright." The piece 'Guanshan Yue' conveyed feelings of parting and reflected the sorrow of soldiers fighting on the border, often with few returning.
After finishing the piece, Qianqian, noticing the patron's long silence, stood up and asked, "Would you like to hear another piece?" She had a rule of only playing three pieces for each guest, after which she was unwilling to continue.
The patron didn't order any more drinks; he simply said, "Pour me some wine." It wasn't an unreasonable request; as long as he didn't go too far, Qianqian usually fulfilled her guests' wishes.
Qianqian slowly walked out, but when she lifted the beaded curtain and saw the man sitting in the chair, a look of horror appeared on her face. This man had rescued her and brought her to the brothel all those years ago.
Ah Yi noticed Qianqian's unusual behaviour and asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
The wealthy patron glanced at the young maid and saw her round, fortunate-looking face and fair skin—she was indeed a budding beauty. He smiled and said, "This maid isn't bad-looking."
Hearing these words, Ah Yi's hand, which supported Qianqian, trembled slightly. She knew she wasn't unattractive, and if it weren't for the protection of her mistress, the brothel madam might have already forced her to entertain clients. Now that she had heard this wealthy patron's comment, she wondered if she could genuinely escape her seemingly predetermined fate.
At that moment, Qianqian finally regained her composure and said, "Ah Yi, you may go." The fact that this person had appeared at this time meant that he needed her to do something important.
Ah Yi hurriedly left, her steps unsteady.
The wealthy patron chuckled slightly. "Is this how she repays you for saving her from the fire?" Although the maid knew he wasn't a good person, she didn't stay behind to protect Qianqian, her benefactor and master. How could such a person be of any use? This girl, Qianqian, had been in the brothel long enough and still hadn't learned anything.
Qianqian asked stiffly, "What do you want me to do?" Her feelings towards the man before her were complicated. He had saved her from the hands of the officials and pulled her out of the flames, but then turned around and pushed her into the abyss by sending her to a brothel. Although she was a courtesan who only performed and did not sell her body, entering a brothel had already tarnished the Duan family's reputation.
The wealthy patron wasn't bothered by Qianqian's hostile attitude and once again instructed, "Pour me some wine." After speaking, he leaned back in his chair, looking completely relaxed.
Qianqian clenched her fists tightly and, after a long pause, asked again, "What exactly do you want from me?" If these people hadn't taken control of her nephew, she would have killed herself long ago and put an end to this life of torture in the brothel.
The wealthy patron didn't even bat an eyelid as he asked, "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Qianqian stood still, unmoving. Had it been any other guest, she would have endured the humiliation, but she was unwilling when faced with the man who had brought her to such a low point.
The wealthy patron chuckled. "You still haven't learned after all these years. Indeed, you're hopeless." Placing Duan Xinrong in the brothel hadn't been done with the intention of having her entertain the customers; it had been done to crush the arrogance of a high-born lady and make her see reality. Unfortunately, after entering the brothel, Duan Xinrong resisted with all her might, even trying to take her own life. Even using the Duan family's tragedy to provoke her didn't work; she just clung to the idea of death. Ultimately, they had to let her see the only surviving member of the Duan family - her nephew - before she began to cooperate. But Duan Xinrong was not made for espionage. After a while, it became clear that she wasn't useful, so they left her in the brothel.
Duan Xinrong shuddered and asked, "Who exactly are you?" She had tried to investigate this man for years, but with limited resources, she still had no idea of his background.
The man revealed these words: "Yan Wushuang."
Duan Xinrong thought for a moment, and then her face showed fear as she questioned, "Are you Marshal Yan's youngest son, Yan Wushuang?" After speaking, she carefully examined the man in front of her. He was tall and burly, his face covered with scruffy stubble, far from the legendary description of being exceptionally handsome. He looked more like a middle-aged man.
Yan Wushuang replied, "Who else did you think I was?"
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Duan Xinrong, still wary, asked, "Why have you come to see me this time? What do you want from me?" This man had abandoned her in a brothel for years, and now that he sought her out, it surely wasn't for anything good.
Yan Wushuang replied, "I came to tell you that you no longer need to stay here. Someone will come to pick you up tonight."
Duan Xinrong asked, "Where am I going?"
Yan Wushuang responded, "You don't need to know that." After speaking, he got up and left the Yichun Brothel. He boarded a carriage, switched to two other carriages, and passed through three locations before knocking on the door of a private residence. By this time, Yan Wushuang had changed his clothes and was no longer attracting attention.
When the door opened, the person inside saw the man who introduced himself as Yan Wushuang and said, "Come in! His Excellency has been waiting for you."
It looked like an ordinary house from the outside, but once inside, it became clear that it was anything but. There were countless people secretly lying in wait, ready to kill at a moment's notice if anything went wrong outside.
A young servant led Yan Wushuang outside of a room and then retreated.
Yan Wushuang entered the room and addressed the sombre-looking man standing by the table, "Your Excellency, the task is done." Sending someone to retrieve Duan Xinrong from Yichun Brothel was simple enough, so why did His Excellency want to complicate things? He didn't quite understand his master's intentions.
The man standing in front of the table was the real Yan Wushuang. The man pretending to be Yan Wushuang was named Meng Nian, one of his subordinates. Yan Wushuang said, "Tomorrow, you will take Duan Xinrong to the Northwest."
Meng Nian replied, "Does Your Excellency want me to take Duan Xinrong to the Northwest to find Han Shi? But according to the information we've received, Han Shi is extremely cunning and may not believe in my identity." Deceiving Duan Xinrong would not be difficult, but deceiving the rumoured, sharp, outstanding Han Shi would be much harder.
Yan Wushuang said, "Whether Han Shi believes it or not doesn't matter. As long as the Imperial Court and Song Huaijin believe it, that's enough." If the Imperial Court and the Song family believed that he had already allied himself with Yun Qing, then Yun Qing would have no choice but to rebel, whether he wanted to or not—unless he was willing to wait for death.
If Yan Wushuang had known that Yuxi had already convinced Yun Qing and that Yun Qing was preparing to rebel, he probably wouldn't have taken this extra step.
Meng Nian said, "Understood. I will take Duan Xinrong to the Northwest tomorrow morning." Duan Xinrong was once a close friend of Han Shi; it was uncertain whether Han Shi would still offer to help when she saw the current Duan Xinrong.
The person inside said, "Meng Nian, this journey is dangerous. Be careful." The assassination attempt had already revealed Meng Nian's identity. From now on, even if he hid in the shadows, he wouldn't be able to escape being hunted by both the Imperial Court and the Song family.
Meng Nian replied, "Rest assured, Your Excellency. I will return safely."
After Meng Nian left, the room fell silent. Shortly after, a man with a hunched back lifted the curtain and entered. He addressed Yan Wushuang, "Seventh Master, do you think this will really make Yun Qing rebel?" The man's voice was extremely hoarse, grating on the ears.
Yan Wushuang said, "Even if Yun Qing doesn't rebel, Han Shi will persuade him to. Han Shi is not a woman who is willing to sit and wait for death. Given her influence over Yun Qing, in matters of life and death, she will surely find a way to convince him."
The hoarse voice sounded again: "It's a pity that this time we only killed a decoy." It would have been better if they had killed the real Song Huaijin.
Yan Wushuang did not seem regretful. "Tang Bo, there's no need to feel that way. One day, I will personally kill Song Huaijin. The over one hundred members of the Yan family and the souls of over one hundred thousand soldiers in Liaodong demand justice from Song Huaijin and the corrupt Emperor." Tang Bo, whose full name was Tang Xingping, was Yan Wushuang's most loyal subordinate. Without him, Yan Wushuang would not have survived.
Tang Xingping knew how much pain Yan Wushuang had endured for revenge over the years. The dead were at peace, but those who survived carried the real burden. "Seventh Master, you're already twenty-six years old this year. It's time for you to settle down." Yun Qing was only two years younger than his master and was almost the father of two children.
Seeing Yan Wushuang's expressionless face, Tang Xingping said, "Seventh Master, you are the only one left. For the sake of the Yan family, you can't refuse to marry." If Yan Wushuang didn't leave any descendants behind, the Yan family would become extinct.
Yan Wushuang, still expressionless, replied, "Leaving descendants does not necessarily require marriage, does it? Getting married would even be more dangerous." His current situation was too dangerous; even if his wife gave birth to a child, neither of them would be safe.
Upon hearing this, Tang Xingping was overjoyed and quickly said, "I'll make the preparations immediately." He tried many times to persuade Yan Wushuang to marry and have children, but Yan Wushuang always refused. Tang Xingping had worried himself sick, even turning his hair grey over it. Now that Yan Wushuang had finally relented, he rushed to make arrangements for fear that Yan Wushuang might change his mind again.
Yan Wushuang added, "Don't let the other party know my identity." He planned that if any of the women Tang Xingping found bore him a child, he would immediately send the child to a safe and reliable place. If he succeeded in overthrowing the Song family, avenging his family and surviving, he would bring the child back. If he died, the child could still grow up safely, and the Yan family wouldn't be wiped out.
Of course, Tang Xingping didn't object. "I'll take care of it."
In the end, Tang Xingping found two women for Yan Wushuang, both with wide hips and well-built for childbearing. Tang Xingping had his reasons: "Even if one of them gets pregnant, it might not be a boy. Two would be safer."
The two women were housed separately. Yan Wushuang met them individually: one looked dignified, the other delicate, and neither was particularly strikingly beautiful.
After meeting them, Yan Wushuang said to Tang Xingping, "Let them stay." Although he was unhappy about it, he understood that Tang Xingping's concern wasn't unfounded. He had already exhausted himself for the Yan family for over ten years. Becoming a tool to produce an heir once again didn't seem like much to endure.
きつね's Musing
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi