Chapter 169 The Noble Young Master of a Marquis's Family (Part 8) The Noble Young Master's Revenge and Love Story...
It was late at night.
After the vermilion gate of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion slowly closed, Song Ce turned around and instructed the sedan chair bearers to go to the back street of Cangchun Tower.
Because of the Qixi Festival, most people went to Zhuque Street to see the lanterns and have fun, so Cangchun Tower was not as noisy as usual. Song Ce looked at the few lanterns hanging on the back street porch, swaying in the night wind, looking rather deserted.
Song Ce walked to the corner door of Cangchun Tower and gently knocked three times. Soon, the small door creaked open a crack, revealing a cheerful, round face. Seeing that it was him, he quickly smiled and welcomed him in.
"Young master, Miss Green Pearl is waiting for you upstairs!" the round-faced maid whispered, leading Song Ce through a narrow corridor.
Green Pearl's courtyard was not large, but it was kept clean and elegant, not at all like the place where a top courtesan should live.
"Please wait a moment, young master. I will go and inform him right away."
"Thank you for your trouble."
When the round-faced maid pushed open the door, Green Pearl was sitting by the window, holding a plain white handkerchief in her hand, looking at something. Hearing the noise, she turned around, her usual charming smile gone, replaced by an unyielding sorrow in her eyes.
"Miss, Young Master Song has arrived."
"Yes, please invite him in quickly."
"Yes, young lady."
After inviting Song Ce into the house, the round-faced maidservant tactfully closed the door and obediently stood guard not far away.
"Greetings, Young Master Song." Green Pearl rose and bowed, her voice not as affected as usual, but instead carrying the softness unique to women from Jiangnan.
"No need to be so polite, young lady."
Green Pearl didn't mince words and personally poured Song Ce a cup of hot tea, directly explaining her intention in inviting him.
"I heard from my sister Man'er the other day that the young master not only paid for her to be released from her servitude, but also took good care of her health. Is that true?"
Song Ce nodded. "That is indeed the case."
Green Pearl's eyes lit up, and she suddenly tightened her grip on the handkerchief.
"I've also heard that your medical skills are extraordinary, and that you were taught by the famous physician Wenxun from Suzhou. Am I correct?"
"Yes, that's true."
Song Ce took a sip of tea. The original owner of this body had indeed spent a few years in Suzhou when he was young, which would be convenient for him to use the name of this famous doctor to lure Green Pearl into his trap.
Green Pearl looked up at the young man before her, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Young master, when you were in Suzhou, did you ever hear of a young master named Chen Qingsheng?"
“Chen Qingsheng…that name sounds familiar.” Song Ce repeated the name in a low voice, his tone devoid of emotion. “Is the one Miss Lüzhu is referring to Chen Qingsheng, the nephew of Chen Ye’an, the magistrate of Qingzhou County?”
Green Pearl was stunned for a moment, her eyes slowly widened, and they lit up almost instantly.
"Yes! It is him! Does the young master know his whereabouts? Is he... is he alright?"
Song Ce put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a very soft sound as it tapped against the table. He looked at Green Pearl's expectant eyes, but ultimately looked away, gazing at the deep night outside the window.
"May I ask, Miss Green Pearl, what is your relationship with Young Master Chen?"
Upon hearing this, Green Pearl's eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back.
"Although Chen Lang and I did not go to the government to apply for household registration, we did exchange greetings and bow to heaven and earth. Before he left, he promised me that if he was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination in the future, he would return to his hometown to hold a grand wedding and marry me in a lively and festive manner."
"I see." Song Ce sighed and asked, "Why didn't Miss Green Pearl wait for him in Suzhou? Why did she come to the capital and enter this place of pleasure?"
"this……"
Green Pearl hesitated for a moment before saying, "After the imperial examination, the candidates who went to the capital with Chen Lang all returned to Suzhou one after another. I waited anxiously at home for a long time, but Chen Lang never returned. Because of this, I went to the homes of those candidates to inquire, only to find out that Chen Lang had not shown his face for a long time. I was extremely anxious, so I immediately packed my bags and rushed to the capital to find Chen Lang and return home... I searched in the capital for more than a month, but I still couldn't find any news of Chen Lang. I didn't have much savings, and I quickly spent it all and was kicked out by the innkeeper. Just then, the madam of Cangchunlou came to me."
Song Ce nodded, almost able to guess what Green Pearl would say next.
Sure enough, Green Pearl, clutching her handkerchief, said, "My mother allowed me to live in the backyard of the Hidden Spring Pavilion, but she required me to perform there regularly, and she would split the earnings with me 40/60. With no other choice, I had to agree to my mother's conditions, and that's how I got this place in the capital."
"So that's how it is." Song Ce's tone carried a barely perceptible sigh. "Miss Green Pearl, the person you're looking for is ten miles outside the city, at the foot of Baoyang Mountain."
Green Pearl was taken aback. She shook her head as if she didn't understand: "Young master, please don't tease Green Pearl."
"Whether you believe it or not, Young Master Chen is indeed there."
The color drained from Green Pearl's face instantly. She stood up abruptly and said angrily, "If you continue to spout such nonsense, young master, don't blame me for being impolite. There are no houses at the foot of Baoyang Mountain. That's clearly... clearly..."
"It's clearly a mass grave, isn't it?"
"You bastard!"
Seeing Green Pearl's displeased expression, Song Ce said, word by word, "Three years ago, when Young Master Chen first arrived in the capital, he accidentally startled a nobleman's carriage and was trampled in the chest by a wild horse, dying on the street. Since his family could not be found, the Second Prince ordered his men to dispose of him as they pleased."
“Death…disposal…” Green Pearl murmured repeatedly, her body swaying, almost falling off the wooden chair. She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. “How could this be…he was perfectly fine when he left. He said he would marry me when he returned. How could this be…how could this happen…I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it!”
Song Ce was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Very well, since Miss Lüzhu doesn't believe me, then I'll take my leave."
Watching Song Ce leave without any hesitation, Green Pearl felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She staggered back two steps, gripping the edge of the table tightly. "No, it must be fake. He's lying to me, trying to get something out of me... Yes! Yes! It must be!"
Thinking this, Green Pearl gritted her teeth and called Tong'er in to help her with her washing and grooming.
After the round-faced maid named Tong'er left, Lüzhu lay on the bed and forced herself to close her eyes.
"Ten miles outside the city, at the foot of Baoyang Mountain, is the person you are looking for."
"It's clearly a mass grave, isn't it?"
"Three years ago, when Young Master Chen first arrived in the capital, he accidentally startled the carriage of a nobleman and was trampled in the chest by a wild horse, dying on the street."
"Unable to find his family, the Second Prince ordered his men to dispose of him as they pleased."
...
Green Pearl abruptly raised her hand to cover her ears, but the words were like demonic whispers, each one pounding into her heart. She curled up on the bed and shook her head violently, but the voices continued to echo in her ears, until tears streamed down her face.
This can't be true.
Definitely not.
For the next few days, Song Ce's life at the Marquis of Weiwu's residence was quite uneventful. Until the twelfth, when he went to Heshun Street as usual to have Man'er's follow-up examination, he saw Green Pearl wearing a veil and looking haggard.
Upon seeing Song Ce, Green Pearl immediately knelt on the ground, her voice hoarse, and said, "Green Pearl begs you, young master, to help me take revenge!"
"You've been at Cangchun Pavilion for two years; you must have heard that the Second Prince is extremely cunning and wary. I'm just the son of a marquis; how could I possibly help you?"
Green Pearl ignored him and stubbornly repeated, "Green Pearl begs you, sir, to help me take revenge!"
Song Ce stood still, carefully examining the seemingly calm Green Pearl.
“Do you know what you’re saying?” Song Ce sighed in a low voice. “Who is the Second Prince? He is a member of the imperial family. Even if you risk your life, it’s like throwing a dry blade of grass into a blazing fire. Not even a spark will fly.”
"What if I lose my life?" Green Pearl suddenly looked up, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. "Before Chen Lang left, he didn't even leave a word, and he was... he was... It's laughable that I endured it for two years in the Hidden Spring Pavilion, only to find out that my Chen Lang had already been murdered by villains! Now that I know who killed him, does the young master expect me to hide in the brothel like a coward and sell my smiles?"
She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, and then coughed heavily. Her veil slowly slipped down, revealing that her once jet-black hair was now half-white.
Seeing this, Man'er quickly stepped forward and handed over a handkerchief, whispering to comfort her, "Sister Green Pearl, please get up first. Let's talk things out slowly. Young Master, he..."
Green Pearl shook her head, brushed her hand away, and stared intently at Song Ce: "Young Master, you are of noble birth and have sought the true teachings of the Master's medical skills, so you must be no ordinary person. Green Pearl only asks you to show me the way, and even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I am willing to brave them!"
Song Ce remained silent for a moment before saying, "Although the Second Prince is single-mindedly pursuing great ambitions, he is also quite competitive. You..." He looked at Green Pearl's half-white hair and ultimately did not offer any words of advice.
Green Pearl smiled brightly and immediately bowed deeply to Song Ce, saying, "Thank you, young master."
...
Seven or eight days later, Song Ce returned to the Hidden Spring Pavilion. The fifth brother, who was greeting guests at the entrance, clearly remembered this generous young master with his peculiar tastes. He immediately greeted him with a beaming smile, saying, "Oh, young master, you've finally arrived! We don't have those sickly girls in our brothel anymore!"
Song Ce smiled faintly, glanced at the empty lobby, and asked him, "Why is the building so deserted today?"
Upon hearing this, the fifth brother exclaimed in surprise, "Young master, you don't know yet? Our young lady, Green Pearl, has climbed up a high branch and is on a roll! She was carried back to the mansion by a nobleman yesterday! To be honest, many of our regular customers came here specifically for Green Pearl. Now that she's gone, the brothel will be quiet for at least ten days to half a month!"
Song Ce casually found a seat in the main hall and gave Lao Wu a tael of silver.
The fifth prince's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter as he leaned closer, bowing, and said, "Young master, you may not know this, but the one who carried Miss Green Pearl back to the manor was none other than the Second Prince! Yesterday, he and the son of the Imperial Uncle's family spent a fortune to compete for Miss Green Pearl, but in the end, the Second Prince succeeded in winning the beauty's heart! Tsk tsk, Miss Green Pearl is already outstanding in appearance, and she knows how to get things done. If one day she gives the Second Prince a son or daughter, she will truly rise to the top in one step!"
Song Ce stroked the teacup in his hand and asked softly, "How could the Second Prince..."
Who is Lao Wu? He has been in this world of pleasure for more than ten years, so how could he not understand the meaning behind this young nobleman's words?
“Young master, you don’t know this, but Miss Green Pearl is a courtesan who sells her art but not her body! Besides, what kind of status does the Second Prince have? How could he just take a woman whose identity is unclear?” As he spoke, the fifth prince leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, “I heard that before Miss Green Pearl entered the manor, a female official came to examine her body. She is perfectly clean!”
Upon hearing this, Song Ce sighed. The fact that Green Pearl had risked her life to enter the Second Prince's residence came much faster than he had expected.
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Author's Note: [Scared] The sky is falling and one chapter is locked. I'll revise it as soon as possible. [Crying]
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