Her choice
Time flows on, back to before Wen Ke went to find Fan Lingzhang.
She received Chu Jiu's message and guessed that the person who was now following Xu was the former Lu Kou. Although he was not aware of the twists and turns, whether it was out of his former admiration for the eldest daughter-in-law or his sympathy for her current situation, he still told Wen Ke.
When Wen Ke received the news, she had mixed feelings. Ever since she saw the tombstones of Aning and Shisan Niang, she had been hiding in the town drinking. She had clearly seen her drowning her sorrows in alcohol and had advised her many times, but she just waved her hand and continued drinking.
When she received the letter, she had just come out of the tavern. She only had half of her internal energy left. There were many talented people in the building, and she had long become a marginal figure. Mingyi's request was not conspicuous in the building. She only saw it occasionally among a pile of discarded orders.
What was she thinking at that moment? She thought of Lu Kou and decided to go there. Although her martial arts skills were not as good as they used to be, they were still more than enough for the people of Chang'an. She could do it to earn money for drinks.
After she lost her inner strength, the master of the building rarely cared about her. She came and went as she pleased. This time, thinking that Sui Zhixu would appear, she also came to Miao territory.
But is she going?
She desperately wanted to go, but could she go? Did she dare to go?
Unlike the other three, she never had a happy home. She was already old enough to remember things when she was six. She clearly remembered that her home was the fourth house in Xinghua Hutong, Yangzhen, Chongzhou. She even remembered her father and mother's names. She remembered that her father and mother took her to the market to buy hair ties. It was her first time going to the market. In the past, only her older brother and younger brother had this privilege.
As twilight deepened, Wen Ke took their hands and asked, "When are we going home?"
"Almost there...almost there..." His voice trembled noticeably, but Wen Ke, with her hair tie swaying, didn't notice.
But the place she ended up in wasn't home; it was in the hands of a stranger, who then sold her into a brothel.
"You'll have plenty of good days ahead of you," she said, then tossed her to the madam, who stared at her for a long time before throwing her to the servants below.
What does she think a good day is?
There were countless literati and poets in brothels, many of whom aspired to become the courtesan's devoted followers, while others were filthy and despicable.
At first, she didn't understand. She was quite lucky and was assigned to the room of a kind-hearted woman in the building. The woman would protect her to some extent because of her young age.
Many women entered the brothel at the same time, and those who caused trouble or failed to train properly were all beaten and starved. Wen Ke, being stubborn, was made an example of and received several solid lashes.
“You can’t be this stubborn. It’s better for the women in the building to be more gentle.” The woman in the same room was applying medicine to her back that night, which was covered in wounds. She couldn’t help but advise her.
“But Lady Peony is not.”
The woman in the room laughed out loud, "You're still a little girl, how can you compare to Lady Peony? Lady Peony does everything perfectly, and she has never lost the title of the most beautiful courtesan every year. Although by the time you grow up, she will have already aged, but by then she will probably be living the life of an official's wife, living a life of luxury."
"If I do everything to the best of my ability, will I still be able to live a good life?"
She took Wen Ke's words as a joke, saying, "Maybe."
Her wife protected her, and even when the pimp tried to cut off her food, her wife stopped him. After her injuries healed, she continued to practice dancing. But even the best-laid plans can go wrong. Wen Ke practiced dancing all day long, from the first crow of the rooster. When she wanted to go back to her room to rest at night, she was stopped on the way by the pregnant man who then began to grope her.
Wen Ke was young and had practiced dancing all day, so how could she compare to him? She shouted loudly, and although people came and went at night, no one stopped for her.
There was no wife in the same room either; she could only look at her with an almost pitying gaze.
Wen Ke couldn't understand, and kept calling out, "Sister."
But she left, smiling as she linked arms with her husband beside her.
Driven by survival instinct, she bit his hand hard and slipped away from his arm when he wasn't looking.
"Grab her right now!"
Wen Ke ran around as fast as she could, even sneaking into a private room when it was closed.
She leaned against the door, panting heavily, and looked shakily at the people inside the room.
"Who are you?"
"I..." Before Wen Ke could reply, the angry roar of the pregnant man came from outside, and she quickly hid under the tablecloth.
She had just hidden herself when there was a knock on the door.
An arrogant and domineering voice came first, but before it could finish speaking, it took a turn.
"Is there anyone in this house... Lord Ye? I've knocked on the wrong door, please forgive me."
Wen Ke lifted a corner of the curtain and shushed him. Lord Ye glanced at him and said to the outside, "Go down, there is no one here who is looking for you."
"Can you answer my question now? Who are you?"
"I was brought here by human traffickers." After Wen Ke finished speaking, she secretly looked up at him and tentatively grabbed the hem of his clothes.
"Can you take me with you? I'm very strong and can do a lot of work."
Wen Ke clutched her clothes tightly, her gaze cautiously shifting between the two people in the room.
Suddenly, the guard grabbed her hand and nodded to Lord Ye.
"I can take you away, but from now on you must work for me and serve me with your life. Are you still willing to do that?"
"You expect me to work for you, and if I do well, will I live a good life?"
Lord Ye burst into laughter, pointing at Wen Ke and saying, "That's interesting."
He replied, "Of course."
Before leaving, Wen Ke touched the wound on his back, glanced at his wife who shared the room with him one last time, and silently lowered his head.
When Wen Ke saw Lord Ye give the madam a gold ingot directly, although Wen Ke was not very knowledgeable, she knew that it was a considerable sum of money.
She was taken to Tianque Tower. Before she could rest for even a moment, she was thrown into a group of children. The person at the head of the group gave the order that they could cross the forest by any means necessary.
Any means, including fighting.
Wen Kesheng's weakness naturally made her a target. At the critical moment, Cao Ning saved her in time. Cao Ning, full of clever ideas, helped her eliminate many people in succession and successfully pass the Tianque Tower's assessment.
Why are you helping me?
"I'll help you, why ask so many questions? Maybe it's fate that brought us together."
The two smiled at each other, and after the assessment, they practiced martial arts together, supporting each other.
Wen Ke always remembered the saying, "Do everything well." She was obsessed with learning martial arts and often practiced until the middle of the night. Until Lu Kou suddenly arrived, she always believed that she would be the next disciple of the sect leader.
Lu Kou seemed to have everything: a perfect family background, loving relatives, and exceptional talent. Her appearance was the least noteworthy advantage for her.
There are people in the world who seem to get everything without having to do anything.
She's so annoying.
Especially why did she insist on dragging her to plant bamboo shoots? She doesn't need to practice martial arts, but she does.
What are you growing bamboo shoots for?
Lu Kou replied matter-of-factly, "Eat it."
Wen Ke was panting, but seeing Cao Ning having fun, she still squatted down and carefully planted bamboo shoots.
She muttered, "The first time is also the last time."
Thirteen Sister: "You planted it incorrectly; this will damage its roots."
"How do we plant it?" Wen Ke asked earnestly, with a "let's try it and see" attitude.
Thirteen Sister grasped Wen Ke's hand. Her first instinct was to pull away, but seeing the questioning look in Wen Ke's eyes, she tried to adapt to this strange feeling.
"You see, it should be like this..."
After planting the first one, Thirteen Sister didn't hold back her praise, saying, "You planted it very well; you have a real talent."
Wen Ke turned her head and saw that Lu Kou had already planted seven or eight.
When Thirteen Sister saw this, she clapped her hands to comfort her, "Sister is quite talented in this area. There are many flowers that she used to grow in Miao territory and the Prince's Mansion. You don't need to worry about this."
Wen Ke: "You got mud all over my clothes."
As the days went by, Wen Ke felt that Lu Kou's casual approach of getting people to plant bamboo shoots was practically her most basic tactic. Drinking was forbidden in the building, yet she blatantly bought alcohol from outside and brought it back, and that was one thing. But then, in the middle of the night, she got drunk and went to Wang, insisting that he fly a kite with her.
Wen Ke couldn't stop her, because she was drunk and didn't recognize anyone, thinking she was five or six years old.
On a winter's day, when the mood struck, they decided to go dig for bamboo shoots. Their eyes were fixed on them, and Wen Ke decisively led Cao Ning away. It is said that in the end, Lu Kou went to find Sima Xian.
Such incidents were countless, and Wen Ke gradually calmed down, especially after the life-or-death situation. She completely relaxed her mindset, knowing that at least Lu Kou would not abandon them.
Wen Ke was very surprised by Lu Kou's marriage; it was too sudden, everything happened so suddenly.
In Wen Ke's imagination, she could be anything except married.
But her husband seems alright, he's so annoying, so incredibly annoying.
Why is there one less person among the four?
Wen Ke could only keep doing tasks to try to keep herself busy and dispel the restlessness in her heart. Coincidentally, she returned to the brothel from back then, only to find out that her roommate, Lan Niangzi, had long since passed away.
How did she die?
Wen Ke thought that now that she had money, it would be best to redeem her, since she had helped her a lot back then, but the person was dead.
"Dead is dead. She was just a prostitute; who cares how she died?"
"You!" Wen Ke's eyes were sharp, but the servant's attitude softened when he saw her draw her sword.
"Oh dear, it's all my fault for being so tactless, but I really don't know... how Lady Lan died? There are too many people in the building, I can't remember, can I?"
Where is Lady Peony?
"Lady Peony is living a good life. She was redeemed by the county magistrate and became the prefect's concubine. I heard that she is going to be promoted. Lady Peony will have countless riches and honors in the future with the magistrate."
Wen Ke is no longer the child she once was. She has seen much more of the world and truly feels sorry for Lady Peony and for the deceased Lady Lan.
The world was tough, and they drifted with the tide, finding no place to settle down.
What constitutes a good life? It can never be measured by money alone. But it can also be measured by love, something that ordinary women in ordinary families rarely experience; love is something they rarely encounter.
Compared to the most pitiful people in the world, her life was already quite good.
She rescued a group of children from human traffickers. When it came to deciding where to send them, Wen Ke was in a dilemma. Only one or two of these children had a little talent for martial arts, but it wasn't very high.
They were sent home. Most of the time, only the boys were being looked for. Some of the girls were expectant, while others didn't care at all and stood numbly in place.
Since no one could find them, Wen Ke heard that the Sui family in Jingzhou had someone in charge, so she tried to send them there. She first observed them for a few days to ensure their safety before sending them to Xianjialiao.
Wen Ke stood at the entrance of the Immortal's Abode, thinking that the name was quite good and hoping that the gods would truly bless them.
Not long after she left Jingzhou, she received news from the building that Ye Ming had betrayed them and gone to Chang'an to steal the list.
Ye Ming, Lord Ye!
The list was divided into two parts: one part disappeared with the fall of the previous dynasty, and the other part was placed on Lord Ye.
Lord Ye shares the same surname as Ye Taoyao. He is not a true member of the Ye family, but rather the adopted son of the Prime Minister, who was ordered to infiltrate the Great Qi Dynasty.
he……
Wen Ke couldn't understand why he had betrayed her. Biao Hong's message was crucial, and she needed to hurry to Chang'an.
She sneaked into the mansion late at night, turned the mechanism in the study to open the secret room, and carefully went in. Unexpectedly, someone was waiting inside. She intended to retreat, but countless swords and blades were pointed at her back, leaving her in a dilemma.
"Xiao Ke, I didn't expect it to be you." Ye Ming's face was hidden in the shadow of the torch, and Wen Ke couldn't see his expression.
Outnumbered, Wen Ke fought desperately but was ultimately suppressed.
"Throw him into the dungeon." He glanced at the subdued Wen Ke and said sternly, "Torture him severely."
The dungeon was dark, with torches on the walls illuminating only a small patch of stone bricks. The flickering light cast shadows onto the scorching hot iron tongs, which were glowing red-hot and exuding intense heat. The moment flesh touched her, a sizzling sound erupted, releasing a burnt smell, accompanied by her heart-wrenching screams of pain.
Sweat mixed with blood dripped onto the ground. Compared to Wen Ke's disheveled state, Ye Ming opposite her seemed to be strolling leisurely, sipping tea.
"Xiao Ke, if you honestly tell me Sima Xian's plan, I might let you go."
Wen Ke looked up, sweat stinging her eyes.
"You... are dreaming."
"You have guts, keep going." Ye Ming's voice was gentle, and at first glance it seemed like she was genuinely encouraging her.
The dungeon reeked of a foul stench, and it was impossible to distinguish between day and night. Wen Ke didn't know how many days she had been there. Finally, one day, she took the opportunity to unlock her chains, knock out the guard, and escape.
The dungeon had a complex layout, and with guards chasing after her, Wen Ke stumbled and ran until she found a window leading to the outside. She then used her lightness skill to burst out.
She took out a firework and shot it into the sky. Given her current condition, she had no way to escape. It would be better to send a signal so that Ah Ling and the others would see it.
As expected, Wen Ke was surrounded by a large group of people shortly after she started running.
Unfortunately, Lu Kou's poison flared up after learning of their news, and she fell into a coma at the Xuanping Prince's Mansion.
"Madam Gu, there's a signal coming from the southwest."
Gu Qingyi, who was taking care of the unconscious Lu Kou, frowned. "The situation in Chang'an is tense right now. How can we spare people to save her? Let's suppress this for now. After this is over, find a few people to keep watch and avoid alerting the enemy. Go now."
"Wait a minute, the mistress is seriously ill. No one is allowed to tell her. If anything happens to her because of this, I will hold you all responsible!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lu Kou couldn't sleep soundly in bed; her pale face showed no signs of life. Gu Qingyi hurriedly urged the doctor, and another flurry of activity ensued.
Wen Ke escaped midway, but the torture inflicted upon her was even more severe; her flesh was torn open, revealing the bone. She was delirious, her mind preoccupied with waiting for Lu Kou, believing she would surely come soon.
She won't give up on her.
"Any news?" Lu Kou lay on the bed, her condition slightly improved.
Gu Qingyi stroked her hair and said gently, "They are looking for her. Don't worry, they will find her. Wen Ke has the best lightness skill, she will be fine."
Lu Kou nodded, her eyes filled with worry.
"Your most important thing right now is to take care of yourself."
Lu Kou: "I know."
Wen Ke waited and waited, but she never got to see him again.
Why?
Is she going to be abandoned again?
How could this be? How could Ah Ling abandon her? But why hasn't she come yet?
Day after day, Wen Ke could no longer hold on, tears welling up in her eyes. The endless darkness and harsh punishments tormented her body and mind again and again. She seemed to hear someone telling Ye Ming that she was lucky to be alive.
No, she was just waiting, just a little longer, and Ah Ling would come.
"You're really lucky to be alive." Ye Ming lifted her chin. "Why bother? Have you waited this long for anyone to come and save you?"
"She will..."
Ye Ming frowned, not having heard clearly, "What?"
"She will come."
This time he heard clearly, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. "Then we'll wait and see."
Day and night, crackling flames licked the cold walls, and flickering firelight danced on Wen Ke's body.
Today, most of her meridians were shattered, and she probably won't make it in a few days.
Lu Kou hasn't arrived yet; there's been no sign of her.
She suddenly felt a surge of hatred, hating Lu Kou for not coming and for her ill-fated destiny.
As a person is about to die, everything from the past repeats itself in their mind like a revolving lantern.
She had to admit that she was despicable, that she envied and resented her, that she hated her extraordinary talent, and that she hated being able to see the distortion in her other half through her pure eyes.
This is unfair, on what grounds?
In the same Heavenly Palace, she will gain everything; she will survive the traps she encounters; she will receive love and kindness from the world.
She is irreplaceable.
But she wasn't.
She initially wanted to uncover her darkness, expose her facade, and make everything she had vanish, leaving her all alone.
She couldn't love her, she could only hate her...
Life was slowly worn away, and after an unknown amount of time, she finally met the person she was waiting for, but it wasn't her.
She asked herself, Wen Ke, is there ever a moment when you still have expectations?
She fainted, and when she woke up again, she was back in the bamboo house of Tianque Tower. The people around her told her that Lu Kou had passed away and had been buried yesterday.
He was buried.
She died.
She didn't understand what had happened, how she could die, shouldn't she have a happy and peaceful marriage?
How could she have died?
In an instant, she didn't know how to bury her hatred, she didn't understand love, and she didn't understand hatred either. She couldn't love because she had never experienced love in her life like Lu Kou.
She couldn't understand it, because the person she hated was already dead.
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