Chapter 64: The Battle of the Oiran
The question Su Shengsheng asked that day ended up in nothing.
She knew that her grandfather wanted to wait until he met her cousin and understood the Li family's plans before making any decision.
That day, in the afternoon, Zai Qing returned from Chiyan City.
He hurried forward, his face daunted. "Miss, that courtesan, the courtesan, insisted on meeting you before she would pay the remaining balance. She's being deliberately difficult! The incident with the fourth room left us so swamped that you had to bring forward the music you had planned for the evening performance at Shixianglou. The courtesan in the Red Mansion requested all ten scores and paid a deposit of a thousand taels. But she's insisting on meeting the composer before she'll pay the balance."
Where is the Red Mansion?
Is it a place their young lady can go?
If you really can go, won’t you keep the song for yourself?
After Zai Qing finished speaking, he saw Su Shengsheng put down the recruitment list and looked up at him, so he quickly added: "I didn't say it was the young lady who composed the song."
"I know." Su Shengsheng responded softly, then said, "It just so happens that I have nothing to do today, so it wouldn't hurt to go take a look."
The pass had been prepared when she purchased the property. Last time, in her haste, she hadn't had a good look around Chiyan City.
When Zai Qing heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked, "If the old man knew about this, it would be terrible."
Su Shengsheng stood up and picked up his hood. "Just don't let Grandfather know."
Qing Ning, who was listening quietly at the side, realized that it was useless to dissuade him, and she was worried and wanted to follow him immediately.
Su Shengsheng didn't stop him.
When the business grows bigger, they will have to deal with all kinds of people.
Red Mansion
In the private room, Mu Ze looked admiring. "Once the army spread the news of the reduction in troops, the spies of Baishang Kingdom couldn't hold back. Of the seven people we captured last time who gave away their identities, eight of them took action today. I have been secretly monitoring them and saw them all enter the Red Mansion."
He changed the subject, "General, who do you think they are going to meet that would require such a large force?"
"Perhaps, we are not the only ones who set out the bait." Xie Xuan quietly turned the jade chain in his hand with a focused expression.
This bracelet was purchased from a foreign merchant, and Xie Xuan never took it off since then.
Seeing that he had been playing with it for the past few days, Mu Ze was curious and poked Chu Zhao: "General, why do you keep holding that bracelet?"
Chu Zhao ignored him and only asked, "Is it all sealed off this time?"
Mu Ze waved his hand and smiled, "This time they can't escape, they just have to wait for the general's order."
The sunlight outside the window shines through the clouds and falls on the tourmaline bracelet, making it shine even brighter, as if all the beauty in the world is condensed in that exquisite jade.
Mu Ze looked out the window following the sunlight, and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure among the bustling crowd downstairs.
"Hey! Isn't that Master Ji? Is he here to join in the fun too?"
Xie Xuan raised his narrow and long phoenix eyes slightly and moved downstairs.
…
"Don't worry, brother Ji. I know you don't like to go to this place of fireworks. Today, Honglou and the emerging Xiaolou are competing in music. We can just listen to the music outside." The person who spoke was a poet friend that Ji Yanli met in a bookstore recently.
Seeing that Ji Yanli had been depressed for several days, he invited him out to relax.
"This lady from the Red Mansion plays the zither, and her music is unrivaled in Chiyan City. But I heard that Xiaolou's new top performer has been battling her for five days straight for the title of Oiran, and every show is packed. Today is the final show, and I'm sure they'll both be showing off their skills."
After saying this, seeing that Ji Yanli still had no interest, she thought that he looked down on this woman from the Red Mansion, so she pulled him to sit at a table set up nearby. "I also thought this worldly song was unremarkable at first, but a friend dragged me here yesterday, and I didn't expect it to be such a heavenly tune. It's truly exquisite, on par with the famous songs of the time."
Unable to refuse such a kind invitation, Ji Yanli had no choice but to sit down and not refuse any more.
I saw that the Red Building and the Xiao Building were facing each other across the street, with tables and chairs placed in the middle, and most of the audience were already sitting there.
This is a new rule introduced by the two companies in order to compete with each other.
After the last song, whoever has more people left will be the most popular.
"This young lady was originally the daughter of an official, but due to her father's crimes, she fell into prostitution. It's said that she was madly waiting for a scholar to pass the imperial examination and redeem her. But she never imagined that this wait would last for over a decade. Now that her beauty has aged, she is left with nothing but regrets."
The man looked regretful, but when he saw Ji Yanli was in a trance, he stopped talking about these sad things and said, "Today we will just listen to the music and not talk about anything else."
…
"I never thought that she was such an innocent girl?" There was a hint of disbelief in the words of the girl.
As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice became hoarse, without any trace of the graceful and beautiful voice of the former courtesan.
"Your voice?" Su Shengsheng's eyes showed surprise as she quietly looked at the woman in front of her who still maintained her beautiful face.
Hearing the concern in her words, Shi Niang smiled softly, a smile that revealed a kind of detachment from the world after experiencing the vicissitudes of life. "The song you gave me is indeed unique in the world. Xiao Lou was unwilling to be outdone and resorted to despicable means."
There was no self-pity in the woman's voice, and she seemed very calm.
Su Shengsheng frowned slightly, wondering why she still wanted to see him. "There's still one song that hasn't been played yet. I can refund your deposit for it."
Upon hearing this, Shi Niang gently waved her hand, took out an exquisite pearl hairpin from her hair, and handed it to Su Shengsheng, "I want you to take my place."
Qing Ning, who was standing by, became nervous upon hearing this and quickly stood in front of Su Shengsheng, "What are you going to do?"
Shi Niang was stunned by Qing Ning's sudden action, and then she chuckled.
However, there was an indescribable sadness and loneliness in that laughter.
Seeing that Zaiqing beside her also had a wary look on her face, Shi Niang quickly stopped laughing and said, "I hope you can finish this song for me."
Su Shengsheng's eyes moved, and she understood what she meant. "Our voices are very different, I'm afraid it won't be enough for me. Sorry."
Ma Niang didn't retract the pearl hairpin, her eyes lingering on Su Shengsheng's black hair. "I was once like you, unmoved by money..."
Her eyes seemed to be reminiscing about the past, whispering about the past that kept her awake at night.
"...He gave me this pearl hairpin. Back then, he was born poor, and I... Later, I ended up in a brothel, and he vowed to redeem me. I held onto it like a floating duckweed, only to receive news that he was marrying the daughter of a high-ranking official."
She paused briefly, her gaze turning to Qing Ning, who had let down her guard and looked reluctant, and Su Shengsheng, who had been watching her calmly. "I don't seek fame, but I just have nowhere to express what's in my heart..." Her voice grew hoarse, "There will never be another chance..."
As she spoke, she raised the pearl hairpin in front of Su Shengsheng again, "It's hard to find a soulmate. I only ask that you help me put this past behind me and express my feelings through music."
Su Shengsheng stared at the pearl hairpin in front of her, but did not reach out to take it.
Although Qing Ning felt deeply sympathetic towards Shi Niang's situation, she was more worried about Su Shengsheng's reputation being damaged. "Isn't there anyone else here who can replace you?"
Shi Niang held up the pearl hairpin and shook her head gently, "The meaning of this song can only be understood by those who are listening to it."
"Since you want to quit, why don't you use this money to redeem yourself?" Su Shengsheng asked.
"My family has been devastated, I've been spurned by the world, betrayed by my loved ones, and all that remains is an empty shell. Where can I go?"
Shi Niang's eyes were dim and her voice became more hoarse as she spoke, as if the pain in her heart had been touched.
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