Chapter 11: Everything Has a Beginning
Slaves had never been so resistant to beatings, much less witnessed such a bloody and brutal scene. Initially, they felt gratified, but then it became increasingly unbearable. As blood and flesh splattered, suppressed retching sounds gradually filled the audience. The thick stench of blood lingered over the execution ground, and even the two young masters turned their heads away. Only the young master watched calmly, his fingertips tapping the armrest intermittently.
After a hundred blows, Feng Wu's skin was torn and flesh was exposed, but he didn't even utter a sound. He only managed to hold on to his last breath, and struggled to raise his head. He grinned with bloodstained teeth, "Thank you... Young Master... for your mercy..."
As the young master left, Feng Wu was carried out of the execution ground, bloodied. The crowd of onlookers dispersed at the shouts of the guards. Only a pool of dark red blood remained in the courtyard, slowly solidifying on the bluestone slabs.
"Tsk tsk, big brother, what a trick..." Feng Yanxuan let out a long sigh, his hand waving the dust-tail fan paused, a flicker of pity on his face. But this pity was fleeting, and he suddenly stood up, his sleeves fluttering, and he landed in front of Yun Yuan.
"Little bird..." He leaned closer and lifted Yun Yuan's chin frivolously with his fingertips, "Are you scared?" There was a frivolous smile in his peach blossom eyes, as if the bloody scene just now was just a boring show.
Yun Yuan had just been untied and was quietly retreating to the steps beside Feng Yanyuan. Feng Yanxuan's leap startled her heart. She had originally thought the rumor that "the second young master had mastered a unique martial art to steal women" was just a joke, but after seeing it with her own eyes these past two days, she knew it was true.
That handsome face suddenly came close before her, so close she could count her eyelashes. Yun Yuan hurriedly took a half step back, her fingers trembling slightly beneath her sleeves. "Thank you so much, Master Xuan, for your help."
"Thank me?" Feng Yanxuan's eyes flickered with a mischievous smile, and he took another step closer. "Then how are you going to thank me?"
Yun Yuan glanced at Feng Yanyuan, who had turned away, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Master Xuan is so high and mighty. I am a humble servant. How can I thank you with anything?"
"High?" Feng Yanxuan suddenly leaned over, "Isn't this just right?" He deliberately made his voice ambiguous, with the tip of his nose almost touching hers.
Yun Yuan moved back in panic again and bumped into Ruyue.
"Second brother..."
Feng Yanyuan couldn't help himself and suddenly stood up. His face was as cold as ice, but his voice was very steady: "Thank you, second brother, for rescuing my maid today. But she still has some unfinished business—" He swept a cold gaze over Yun Yuan and said to Ruyue, "Take her downstairs to clean up. She's been rolling around in prison all night and she smells so foul. Don't let the second young master be bothered by it."
The sharpness in these words was clear to everyone. Ruyue's heart skipped a beat. While repeatedly bowing to Feng Yanxuan to express her gratitude, she grabbed Yun Yuan's sleeve and dragged him out.
Yun Yuan was dragged out by Ruyue and couldn't help but look back - she saw Master Xuan circling Master Yuan, counting on his fingers and laughing: "One? Two?... Three will be fine, right? Don't push your luck! The beauties in my courtyard are all charming and seductive! You've made a killing by getting a little girl like you who knows nothing!" He suddenly jumped away half a step and waved his hands exaggeratedly, "Hey, third brother, are you looking at me like I'm going to kill you? Okay, okay... Four! Four will be fine, right?"
Ruyue looked at this scene and burst out laughing, "Young Master Xuan is the most interesting. Don't look at our young master's cold face now, actually..." She leaned close to Yun Yuan's ear and lowered her voice, "When he gets angry, he will argue with him like he did when we were kids!"
Yun Yuan looked at the warmth between Ruyue's eyebrows and eyes, and said with a smile: "Sister, have you been serving the young master for a long time?"
"My family has been servants of the Feng family for generations." Ruyue tightened her arm around her, her tone tinged with pride. "I grew up with you, Master." Suddenly, she sighed, "You're lucky. Only Master Xuan dared to intervene in yesterday's situation and save you." She suddenly leaned in close to Yun Yuan's neck and sniffed. "You've picked up some foul air... I'll take you to wash and change. We need to get rid of this dungeon's bad air."
When Yun Yuan finished washing up and came to Yuanshanzhai, she was stopped outside by Ruyue. The two of them quietly peeked in and saw Master Xuan leading ten beauties of different styles, surrounding Master Yuan - the usually elegant Yuanshanzhai was suddenly filled with the fragrance of perfume and the chirping of orioles. Master Xuan lined up the beauties and listed them one by one: this one is good at dancing, that one is good at music, and the other is proficient in tea ceremony... Which one is not more knowledgeable and interesting than that withered girl? Anyway, you are not going to fly the kite, why not help your brother? Seeing Feng Yanyuan's cold face, Feng Yanxuan suddenly turned around and walked towards the door. Yun Yuan and Ruyue hurriedly straightened their backs, but saw that he just stretched out his hand to close the door. The moment he closed the door, he winked at Yun Yuan playfully: "Not suitable for children."
The heavy pearwood door sealed off the ambiguous laughter. Only the soft creaking of tables and chairs could be heard, as if they were mingling. After a while, Master Xuan pushed the door open and emerged, shaking his head and sighing, "Third Brother, you should go up to the mountains and cultivate your Dao!"
After the ten beauties had followed Young Master Xuan away, Yun Yuan followed Ru Yue into the study. The lingering sweet fragrance in the air and the scattered footprints of rouge on the ground betrayed the absurdity of the moment.
Feng Yanyuan fretted, smoothing his torn collar. The gold-threaded cloud pattern on his sleeves wrinkled slightly. On that jade-white cheek, a half-stain of rouge lipstick was strikingly vivid. Seeing the two enter, he glanced coldly at Yun Yuan and sighed.
Ruyue and Yunyuan exchanged glances secretly, the corners of their lips trembled and then quickly pursed them, and their shoulders were still shaking slightly as they bowed their heads.
The study was so quiet that one could hear the ticking of a copper clock. The young master had originally summoned them to do something, but he was simply staring at the tea-stained yellow paper on the desk. They stood there breathlessly, even the rustling of fabric was muted.
"You..." Feng Yanyuan suddenly spoke, startling the candlelight. "What are you planning now?"
Yun Yuan's eyelashes trembled suddenly. She looked at the flickering candlelight on the blue brick floor and said softly, "This servant... dare not have any ideas."
Feng Yanyuan said with a smile, "You still don't have an idea, but I see you have plenty of them. You plan before you act, and you're sharp-tongued and sharp-tongued, like a female Zhuge Liang! Don't act so obedient and docile in front of me. You're trying to provoke Master Xuan, so you have your own plans. Why don't you just speak frankly? I'll comply with you."
Ruyue was so frightened by the cold and burning tone that she didn't dare to raise her head. She just glanced at Yunyuan secretly, afraid that she would say a wrong word.
Yun Yuan was also a little surprised, inexplicably angered by him, but she could only suppress her anger and said, "Sir, if you are asking me if I want to go to Xuanfeng Courtyard, then I don't want to. I want to stay in Yuanfeng Courtyard."
The tone was somewhat unyielding. Ruyue was afraid that Master Yuan would become even more angry and scold her for being disrespectful, but she found that he did not say a word and did not continue.
No one said much. Yuanshanzhai was silent for a moment, save for the faint chirping of yellow orioles from the distant mountains outside the window.
Feng Yanyuan was silent for a long time, and suddenly spoke again: "If you go to Xuanfengyuan, you can be a favorite concubine and enjoy wealth and honor." He said this lightly, and it was hard to tell whether he was sincere or sarcastic.
Upon hearing this, Yun Yuan's eyes suddenly turned red, and she knelt down on the ground with a plop: "Xuanfeng Courtyard is full of girls and girls, scheming against each other all day long..." Her voice trembled, and her fingertips tightly grasped the hem of her skirt, "I beg you to have mercy on me, sir, and don't chase me away..." She looked like a bird wet by the rain.
Feng Yanyuan obviously hadn't expected such a scene. After a moment of hesitation, he whispered, "Who wants to kick you out..." He turned away, his voice becoming softer, "Since you want to stay, stay in Yuanfeng Courtyard and don't cause trouble in the outer residence anymore."
"Here..." Yun Yuan responded with a crying voice. When she wiped her tears with her sleeve, her slender wrist was exposed, with bruises on it from the rope.
Feng Yanyuan's eyes swept across the scar, he picked up the teacup, but then frowned and put it down: "It's cold."
Ruyue hurriedly tugged at Yunyuan's sleeve when she heard that: "Hurry up and make some tea!"
As Yun Yuan stood up, her skirt rippled gently. Her fingers, still trembling slightly as she brewed the tea, steadily poured out a line of amber-colored water. In the misty tea, no one saw the fleeting curve of Feng Yanyuan's lips.
As the sun sets, a tranquil silence descends upon Yuanshanzhai. Yun Yuan brews tea with her bare hands, a wisp of smoke rising from the celadon cup. She grinds ink, passes books, her sleeves brushing against the desk, bringing with them the faint scent of agarwood. Feng Yanyuan sits, scroll in hand, his features a picturesque expression. Occasionally, he glances up, his gaze sweeping across her busy figure before returning quietly to the pages of his book.
Ruyue leaned against the door, gazing at the harmonious scene, a smile unconcealed in the corners of her eyes. Even the falling magnolias in the courtyard seemed to be gilded, creating a beautiful contrast with the sunset. Feng Jiu rushed to the corridor and was about to push the door open when Ruyue stopped him. He leaned in, confused, and asked, "Young Master, are you in a bad mood again?"
"Shh——" Ruyue raised her index finger and glanced into the room.
"What are you standing here for?" Feng Yanyuan's voice suddenly came, "You have some free time but nothing to do. Don't take a day off like this anymore."
Ruyue stuck out her tongue, picked up her skirt and ran away. Feng Jiu looked at her back and scratched his head, muttering: "Should I let her in or not?..."
"What are you mumbling about?" Feng Jiu was patted on the head. He looked up and saw that the young master had already left the door. "Let's go."
It was getting dark, and the room was quite chilly. Yun Yuan closed the window and squatted by the tea stove, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan. The young master had been out for a long time, and she didn't know if he would come back. She didn't dare leave without a message. She hadn't slept all night in prison last night, and her heart was so tense during the day that she didn't feel any difference. Now she was yawning continuously. The fire was roaring, and the tea was bubbling. She looked at the curling smoke, and her vision became more and more blurred. In the hazy state, she suddenly felt a chill on her forehead. She grabbed a hand in a daze, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the handsome face of the young man, a pair of starry eyes as clear as water, and a faint smile.
"Young Master..." She felt a little confused and quickly let go of his hand.
"It's only been a short while, and you're already so sleepy? If I hadn't stopped you, you would have fallen into the teapot."
Yun Yuan suddenly woke up, her eyes still hazy with sleep, and she looked dazed like a dazed fawn. Feng Yanyuan felt a sudden warmth surge through his heart as he observed her, and he asked, "Can you... play the zither?"
Yun Yuan was stunned for a moment, her fingertips twisting her sleeves tightly as she said, "My zither skills are not very good, and I am afraid that I will pollute your ears."
Feng Yanyuan had already reached the sandalwood bookcase, his slender fingers lifting a pristine white silk cloth. The dusty Yaozheng shone softly in the candlelight, its thirteen strings like a clear spring under the moon, quietly awaiting a soulmate.
"Come here and let me hear how unrefined you are."
Yun Yuan could only obey. When she placed her slender fingers on the string, she trembled slightly.
"What do you want to hear, sir?"
Feng Yanyuan raised his hand and pushed open the carved window lattice. Moonlight suddenly poured in, shimmering across his brows. The distant mountains became inky silhouettes, leaving only a solitary moon hanging in the indigo sky, its bright, clear light.
"Just play..." He looked at the sky, his voice melting into the wind, "This bright moon and fresh breeze."
The night wind blew through the hall, carrying with it the scent of pine trees in the distant mountains.
Yun Yuan hesitated for a moment, then finally steeled herself to pluck the strings, her hesitant fingertips accompaniment by the broken melody. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, expecting him to impatiently call for a halt, but he simply stood by the window, silent as the moon.
By the end of the song, sweat had soaked through her clothes, and a chill snaked up her spine. She held her breath and waited for a moment, the only sound around her being the soft popping of candlelight. Finally, she couldn't help but glance sideways—only to see Feng Yanyuan's eyes fixed intently on the strings, as if the paulownia wood held some old dream. Even the moonlight froze as it passed over his brows.
"Young Master?"
Feng Yanyuan came back to his senses and asked, "Where did you hear this song?"
"This servant... just played it casually."
Feng Yanyuan quietly approached her, leaning over to touch the strings. He'd probably spent too long in this cold mid-spring night, and a chill still lingered on his sleeves, yet a subtle scent of grass and trees lingered, like a subtle fragrance drifting beneath the moon. Yun Yuan was entangled in this fluctuating warmth and coolness, her breath slightly choking, yet she could only sit there and listen. As the melody flowed, her heart skipped a beat—it was clearly the passage she'd just played, yet the rhythm flowing from his fingers was so masterful, as if he'd played it over and over again for years, and each note that rippled through the strings understood how to strike a chord better than she did.
Feng Yanyuan finished playing, then turned back to look at her. She lowered her head slightly, her face flushed, delicate as a ripe peach. His heart skipped a beat, and he realized how closely their auras intertwined, so close he could see the slight quiver of her eyelashes, the crimson on her cheeks threatening to burn his own. He straightened up and stepped back half a step, his clothes fluttering in the cool night air. His Adam's apple rolled before he managed a dry, raspy voice: "I've heard this piece before... I was just in the moment... Don't overthink it."
Yun Yuan stammered, "I don't have any."
Feng Yanyuan breathed a sigh of relief, calmed himself, and asked, "Did you just do this?"
"This... should be a folk song from my hometown. The young master mentioned the clear wind and bright moon. I've only learned erotic and vulgar songs in recent years. Suddenly, I only remembered the songs I heard in my childhood."
"Folk song? Where is your hometown?"
"I entered the music school at a very young age, and I don't even remember where my hometown is." Yun Yuan smiled wryly, "But this melody seems to be engraved even deeper in my heart."
Feng Yanyuan stared at her for a long moment, then chuckled softly, "Although this piece has a few flashes of inspiration, it's like pearls on a broken string, scattered and unable to form a chapter." He tapped the zither lightly with his fingertips, and the sandalwood rang out with a clear sound. "I've had some free time, so I've recomposed it a few times."
As the moonlight flowed, he suddenly sat down beside her, his sleeves carrying a wisp of pine ink fragrance. He smiled suddenly: "You are not being modest. Your piano skills are indeed lacking in quality. You are not well-trained..." The last syllable was drawn out. He grabbed her wrist and put it between the strings without giving her permission. "Why don't you start learning now?"
Before Yun Yuan could react, his slender fingers had already plucked the Shang Zheng. She groaned in her heart, but could only follow his fingertips as they wandered on the thirteen strings. The two sounds of the piano suddenly intertwined, like two butterflies dancing tenderly under the moon, startling them so much that even the wind chimes on the eaves forgot to sway.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
