Within just a few days, news of the Emperor's wedding spread throughout the entire Wanling Mausoleum.
Meanwhile, in a county town nearly a thousand miles from the capital, a scene of a prostitute escaping was unfolding.
As dawn broke, the courtesan saw that the customer beside her was fast asleep, so she quietly put on her clothes and got out of bed.
She bent down and took out a bundle that she had prepared beforehand from under the bed, then turned to look at the ugly man inside the red tent.
The courtesan was none other than Jiang Jiaojiao, who had left the capital with a wealthy merchant surnamed Yang.
Her newly recognized cousin took great care of her throughout the journey and even promised to take her wherever she wanted to go.
On the third day after leaving the capital, her so-called cousin said he was going to deliver goods to the south and would not pass through Anlu County, where her father worked, for the time being. He said he would take her to Anlu County after unloading the goods.
Her cousin then told her that Anlu County was far away and the journey was fraught with danger. Jiang Jiaojiao didn't have much money on her, so she had no choice but to continue traveling with the caravan.
A few days later, we passed through a small town, and the innkeeper said that there was only one room left besides the large dormitory-style dormitory.
The dormitory was full of peddlers and laborers, and it reeked of stench. It was full of men, so Jiang Jiaojiao didn't dare to sleep there.
The cousin immediately confessed his feelings to her, praising Jiang Jiaojiao profusely.
He said that as long as Jiang Jiaojiao was willing, he would divorce his wife and marry her as his legal wife.
Jiang Jiaojiao was like a lone boat adrift on the sea, with no one to rely on. She was like a drowning person, and her cousin's promise was like someone handing her a piece of wood to save her life. She hugged it tightly without hesitation.
That very night, she gave herself to that man. After a night of passion, Jiang Jiaojiao knew in her heart that this man was her only hope for turning her life around.
She did everything she could to please the man, even letting her cousin do whatever he wanted while they were traveling in the bumpy carriage.
Her cousin treated her very well along the way, pampering her with good food and drink.
However, her good fortune didn't last long. Her cousin's initial infatuation with her quickly faded, and he even made her serve the brothers in the caravan.
At first, she strongly opposed it, but somehow, her baggage disappeared.
She then realized that she had fallen into her cousin's trap. She was a weak woman, penniless and alone.
She then realized that when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
From having a private room with my cousin to sleeping in a shared dormitory.
The dormitory room reeked of foul odors, and the snoring was deafening at night. Rats and cockroaches crawled overhead, rustling and sending chills down one's spine. She was so frightened that she couldn't sleep all night.
A few days later, she tearfully begged her cousin to give her some money for travel expenses so that she could go to Anlu County to reunite with her family, out of consideration for the kindness she had shown him along the way.
"Why are you in such a hurry, sister? We can send you to Anlu County after we sell the goods. These goods are meant to support my brothers' families. If you want to save more money, wash my brothers' clothes every day. That will be another source of income."
Jiang Jiaojiao had no choice but to take on all the dirty work in the caravan.
Jiang Jiaojiao lived on counting copper coins every day, but no matter how she counted, the money was never enough. She wanted to serve her cousin to get a few more coins as a reward.
Her cousin somehow acquired another young woman, so she had no chance to get close to him.
From early spring to late summer, Jiang Jiaojiao had saved up a few taels of silver, but the caravan was going further and further away, and she still couldn't reach the silver in her hand.
Once the caravan reached the south and sold their goods, those people had money in their hands, and many lost interest in Jiang Jiaojiao, preferring to spend high prices to visit the brothels along the official road.
The caravan bought goods in the south and headed back one early autumn morning.
When Jiang Jiaojiao woke up, she found herself lying in a woodshed.
Her belongings had vanished again, and she was met with a warning from the pimp and a show of force from the madam.
The cheap brothel didn't need her to know anything about music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. No matter how much she boasted about how good she was at these arts, the madam didn't even give her a second glance and just told her to wash up, get dressed, and serve customers.
This brothel was not far from the official road, and the people coming and going were all laborers, peddlers, and roughnecks.
Jiang Jiaojiao was filled with bitterness. She had once lived a life of luxury, but now she was being ravaged by the lowly commoners she despised.
After winter arrived, upon learning of the Emperor's marriage to Jiang Shuyue, she gritted her teeth in hatred.
Jiang Jiaojiao learned that two pimps in the building had fallen ill yesterday, and she thought today would be a good opportunity to escape.
She didn't want to stay in this filthy place any longer; she had witnessed firsthand how tragically her sisters in the brothel died from venereal diseases.
She wanted to find her father and ask him to return to the capital to plead with the Empress. If her father was recognized as the Emperor's father-in-law, she would still have hope of marrying into a wealthy family.
Jiang Jiaojiao glanced back and saw a money bag next to the man's pillow.
This place is still far from Anlu County, and without money, she can only beg along the way.
A woman without money is always at risk of falling into the clutches of others.
She gritted her teeth and reached for her money bag.
Unexpectedly, the man had half-pressed his money bag under his pillow, and the force of the pressure woke him up instantly.
"What are you trying to do, you bitch?" The man sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with anger.
Jiang Jiaojiao was so frightened that she almost jumped out of her skin. There were rules in the brothel: stealing a customer's money would get her severely punished by the pimp.
She quickly threw the bundle in her hand on the ground and put on a smiling face, "I was about to go wash clothes, but when I saw that your cloth bag was dirty, I thought I'd wash it for you too."
"Grandpa has to travel after lunch, so there's no need to wash."
The man, without suspecting she was trying to steal his purse, reached out and grabbed Jiang Jiaojiao's arm.
"I paid for the whole night, so you have to serve me until noon."
The ugly man stared with lecherous eyes at the cleavage that was faintly visible under Jiang Jiaojiao's thin veil.
"My lord, I'll be right now, ah..."
Before Jiang Jiaojiao could even climb onto the bed, the man pulled her face down with a forceful tug, her knees slamming heavily against the edge of the bed.
Before she could recover from the pain, the man roughly ripped off her underwear and pressed himself heavily against her.
"Grandpa, it hurts, my knee hurts."
The man didn't care whether she was in pain or not; he paid for sex and only wanted to satisfy his lust.
Jiang Jiaojiao lay sprawled on the bed, her back arched, sweat pouring down her forehead from the pain.
She was extremely anxious; if the man lingered with her for too long, she would lose her chance to escape.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the man finished satisfying his lust, pinched her round buttocks, and then pushed her away.
"Wait in bed, I'll be back after I go to the outhouse."
The man was burly and strong, like an ox. Jiang Jiaojiao was exhausted by him half the night before.
Exhausted, she shuddered at the thought that there were still several hours until noon.
The outhouse was on the first floor. Jiang Jiaojiao estimated that the man wouldn't be back for a while, so she got up and dressed as quickly as possible.
Ignoring the injury to her knee, she rolled out of bed, grabbed her bundle, and tiptoed downstairs.
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