Chapter 13 A woman with a red sleeve, sword at her waist, slays ordinary men.
When Menghe Nabuer saw Feng Tan turn from the street, he immediately led the carriage over, looked at her face, and said, "Ren Pingsheng, Hongxiu Pavilion, let me apply medicine for you."
A look of surprise flashed across Feng Tan's eyes as she asked, "Aunt Ren is back from her errand?"
After watching her get into the carriage and settle into her seat, Menghenabul said, "Yes, she called you."
Scattered stars dotted the deep sky, the moon hid behind the clouds, and colorful lanterns hung at the entrances of every household in Baihua Street, from singing houses and dance halls to taverns and restaurants, making the street bright and radiant.
Baihua Street is a famous night market in the capital. After nightfall, the street is crowded with people, with acrobats and flower girls performing among them. When they see dignitaries riding in sedan chairs, they quickly step aside and resume their performances after the carriages have passed. The various sounds mixed together are quite noisy.
As the new year approached, the crowds on Baihua Street were too dense. Uncle Meng glanced at the street entrance with his carriage, then cracked his whip and chose to enter through the back door of Hongxiu Pavilion.
The servant at the back gate of Hongxiu Pavilion had been instructed to wait for a distinguished guest of Boss Ren before it got completely dark. However, the wait was so boring that he dozed off twice and then fell asleep sitting at the door with a small stove in his arms. But his sleep was restless; why was someone poking his shoulder?
The servant opened his sleepy eyes, rubbed them, and said, "Brother Feng is here, isn't he?"
The newcomer smiled and looked down at him, saying, "It's me."
The servant blinked, thinking to himself: What a handsome young man!
He hurriedly stood up from the ground and led Feng Tan in, saying as they walked, "Young man, please come inside!"
As night fell, the Red Sleeve Pavilion was filled with revelry. The seven-story, four-pillared building was draped with light gauze curtains, through which shadowy figures could be seen. The innermost room on the second floor was Wan Niang's bedroom. Now that Wan Niang was being held in the Ministry of Justice prison, no woman lived in this room. Ren Pingsheng thought that Feng Tan was too badly injured to climb the stairs, so he had the servant lead the way to bring Feng Tan here.
In the eighth year of Chongming, there were nine official courtesans in Hongxiu Pavilion, far fewer than the number of courtesans bought from the government. However, precisely because they had been educated, when Ren Pingsheng asked them if they were willing to use the silk money they had earned to support children in the countryside who were studying hard, they all agreed.
Years have passed, and their looks are no longer comparable to those of the new girls. They have plenty of free time and don't entertain customers. In addition, there are few customers today, and they are curious about Feng Tan, whom they have never met before. They gathered on the second floor early, idly eating melon seeds, waiting to meet this old friend they have never met.
Feng Tan pushed open Wan Niang's door, and what came into view were seven women in different poses.
The rotating window was closed, and the red sleeves added fragrance. Seven charming and shy women covered their faces with round fans and smiled at each other. Their headdresses were inlaid with gold and jade, and their clothes were colorful and eye-catching. The moment the door opened, their eyes looked at the doorway with affection and smiles.
The woman dressed in a red, sheer dress spoke first: "My goodness! So all these years we've been supporting such a divine being!"
"Oh my, if I had known that Brother Feng was so handsome, I would have spent more money to make sure he suffered less!"
Despite his injuries to his waist and abdomen, Feng Tan bowed deeply and said, "I am deeply grateful to all the ladies for supporting my studies for the past eight years!"
The woman in red said, "Oh, Brother Feng, why are you being so polite with us? As the saying goes, the righteous are often the lowly butchers, while the ungrateful are often the scholars. We were worried that you would turn your back on us after you became an official, but seeing your refined appearance and respectful behavior, we feel much more at ease."
Feng Tan's ears turned red, and she said shyly, "Sister, please don't praise me like that. I'm taking it seriously."
The young women laughed upon hearing this. The woman in pink said, "They're not elder sisters, they should be concubines! Wan Niang and Li Niang entered the Red Sleeve Pavilion a few years before us. Our fathers and brothers committed crimes... We entered the pavilion in the same batch. Wan Niang and Li Niang have met Brother Feng, so they might recognize us?"
Feng Tan's gaze swept over each of them, and he pointed at the girl with his finger and called out her name accurately, "Yao Niang, Jian Niang, Zhang Niang, Jian Niang, Zhan Niang, Fan Niang, Fu Niang."
The woman in red was Yao Niang. She raised an eyebrow and asked in surprise, "How did you distinguish them so clearly, Brother Feng?"
Feng Tan said, “I have been corresponding with my sisters for many years through letters. Each sister’s personality can be revealed in her letters. For example, Wan Niang is gentle, Yao Niang is passionate, Jian Niang is reserved, and Zhang Niang is demure. Just now, when we were talking, we compared the personalities of my sisters with what was revealed in their letters, and we were able to tell them clearly.”
Yao Niang said, "Brother Feng is indeed the one who solved the case of the fallen dragon. He is truly intelligent! Does he know the origin of our stage names?"
Feng Tan smiled and said, "It comes from the article 'Warning to the World': 'A beautiful woman of sixteen or seventeen is as soft as butter, with a sword at her waist to slay ordinary men.' The sisters have had many hardships in their careers, but they are bold and unrestrained. Feng Tan admires them wholeheartedly."
“Treat the johns like dogs under a skirt, that’s true pleasure!” Yao Niang sighed. “Brother Feng is a man. We don’t ask that Brother Feng understands us. We only hope that Brother Feng can remember the years of support he has given us and rescue us. I know it’s difficult, but we can wait until the day when Brother Feng is in a high position.”
As long as there is hope, the days of being forced to spread one's legs under a man can be endured. Hoping, hoping to survive the harsh years, and after growing old and losing beauty, before becoming a white-haired old man, to leave this secluded palace, to take a look at the chaotic world, to walk through the vast rivers and mountains, then one's life will not have been in vain.
Feng Tan bowed deeply again, enduring the pain, and said, "Feng Tan will never forget your kindness and will do everything in my power to help my sisters escape from their cage."
The door was suddenly kicked open, and Li Niang stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, looking down at the other girls with an unfriendly tone, "Do you all think Brother Feng is a monkey? Staring at him endlessly! What's so interesting? Brother Feng is still seriously injured and needs treatment. You all get out of here right now!"
Despite being threatened by Li Niang, the seven women were not afraid. Yao Niang glanced at her sisters and said, "It was our fault. Brother Feng, please take good care of your injuries. If you need anything, just ask us!"
Feng Tan said to Liniang, "I only talked to my son for a while, my injury is nothing serious."
"Not a problem? What, is it a problem if you can't straighten your back?" Ren Pingsheng walked in carrying a lacquered wooden table, slamming it heavily on the table. The porcelain medicine containers on the table clattered loudly. Without saying a word, she picked up Feng Tan's wrist and checked her pulse, saying, "Weak and feeble pulse, sluggish qi and blood, not reaching the guan (a point on the pulse), mostly deep and wiry. It's a good thing she's not delirious tonight!"
After saying that, she touched Feng Tan's forehead again, her eyes filled with worry, and turned to Li Niang and said, "Go to the kitchen and boil a bucket of water."
Feng Tan looked embarrassed at Ren Pingsheng's decisive manner and whispered, "Aunt Ren, Boss Ren, you're so fierce."
Ren Pingsheng snapped his fingers on Feng Tan's forehead and said, "Is he as fierce as Xiao Yinshi?"
Feng Tan rubbed his forehead, which was sore from being hit, and laughed, "Of course not. Ren Yi is gentle but fierce, while Xiao Yinshi is truly fierce."
Ren Pingsheng said, "Xiao Yinshi is known for his ruthlessness and is a notorious tyrant. You should not provoke him in the future."
Ren Pingsheng was a lady-in-waiting sent by the emperor from the inner palace to manage the Red Sleeve Pavilion. She had previously served Empress Xiaoxian and, at the Empress's recommendation, became the head of the Shanggong Bureau. Later, after the Empress committed suicide by self-immolation and Feng Youming was imprisoned, she requested to be demoted to the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) and appointed as the owner of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, in charge of all affairs of the pavilion and looking after her friend Feng Youming's daughter, Lin Wanzhou. Having served in the palace for many years, she was meticulous and never overlooked anything; a single glance was enough for her to notice all the wounds on Feng Tan's body.
Ren Pingsheng's gaze lingered on Feng Tan's neck, looking at the deep purple bruises left by the man's large hand pinching her delicate neck. Her beautiful eyes flashed with anger as she said, "Was this done by that living Yama?"
Feng Tan dared not provoke Ren Pingsheng the most, and whispered, "He looks fierce, but he doesn't hurt at all. That day in the secret room of Yongle Temple, I wanted to kill him, but I failed and was almost killed by him instead."
Ren Pingsheng's chest heaved as he listened, and he took a deep breath before saying, "With the pathetic skills you learned from that girl Yu Ruxi when you were young, you dare to assassinate a ninth-rank master? I think you're tired of living!"
Feng Tan pleaded, "I was so angry with him that I acted rashly. I won't do it again!"
"Are you out of your mind?"
“He used Lin Wanzhou’s life as bait. If I hadn’t been there, Wanzhou would have certainly died that day.”
Ren Pingsheng looked at the arrow wound on Feng Tan's arm with heartache and said, "This arrow wound was inflicted to save Lin Wanzhou, wasn't it?"
Feng Tan recalled Lin Wanzhou's words and actions that day and said thoughtfully, "Wanzhou, she resents you, sir."
Ren Pingsheng sighed, "In the end, it was her mother who dragged her down. It's understandable that she harbors resentment at such a young age, but I never expected her to hate Hongxiu Pavilion so much that she would rather stay by the side of the Living Yama than come back."
After saying this, Ren Pingsheng had Feng Tan lie face down on the bed. He lifted her clothes and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the red and swollen wounds. He carefully sprinkled the medicine powder on her skin. "Menghe Nabul's wound medicine works quickly and heals quickly. But my medicine is priceless. I got it from the chief of the Jiaosi tribe in the Linzhang sea area. It will definitely make you fully recovered in less than seven days!"
“Aunt Ren, you sent me a message saying that Su Bai might be a member of the Jiao Si tribe, and my verification today confirms that. A while ago, when you accompanied the army to the Linzhang sea area, did you discover anything unusual in the Jiao Si territory?”
“No,” Ren Pingsheng said, his expression focused as he sprinkled the medicine, his tone softening. “The Merfolk are hospitable, and I see nothing unusual about them. A-Tan, what are you suspecting?”
Feng Tan rested her face on her arm and said, "It's nothing... Aunt Ren, I made a deal with Xiao Yinshi. I helped him investigate the case, and he released Wan Niang after it was done. Ouch, Aunt Ren, be gentle, it hurts!"
Ren Pingsheng hurriedly bent down and breathed on Feng Tan's wound, his tone urgent: "What deal did you make with that living Yama? How dare you make a deal with him?!"
Feng Tan said, "Don't worry, Aunt Ren, I know what I'm doing. But I can't tell you the specifics. Besides, the less you know, the safer you are."
Ren Pingsheng's breathing became slightly heavy, as if he had to exert a great deal of effort to suppress his anger. He patiently said, "A-Tan, I know you are a person of your own mind, but there is something Aunt Ren must say. Whether it is saving Wan Niang or Feng Youming, you cannot risk your life. Even if things are not accomplished, the Empress will not blame you if she knows in the afterlife."
Seeing Feng Tan remain silent, Ren Pingsheng continued, "You are of noble birth, yet you studied diligently for eight years, competing with a group of men for the imperial examinations. I witnessed all the hardships you endured. When you first left the palace to evade investigation, you couldn't pawn royal items, leaving you penniless and forced to rely on the money earned from prostitution to continue your studies. You were fostered by a poor farming family with no connections, relying solely on your own abilities to pass the examinations among thousands of candidates. Every day, you were wrapped in a breast bra, struggling to breathe, and had to constantly lower your voice... I served by the Empress's side for several years, and Feng Youming and I are close friends. They, like me, all hope you can live a good life..."
“Aunt Ren,” Feng Tan interrupted Ren Pingsheng, turning around and teasingly said, “Boss Ren, your nickname is ‘Oil-Splashed Chili’. So sentimental, that’s not like you at all!”
Seeing Ren Pingsheng's furrowed brows, Feng Tan straightened her expression and hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Aunt Ren, I cherish my life. This life was given to me by my mother. I will protect myself to clear the name of Mr. and Wan Niang."
Ren Pingsheng finally relaxed his brows and looked at Feng Tan's injuries, sighing, "This beating was too brutal... That old bastard Gao Yu, and... Emperor Chongming, they deserve to die!"
Ren Pingsheng uttered these outrageous words, looked at the silent Feng Tan, and murmured, "Sigh, I imagine that father would be heartbroken if he knew."
A note from the author:
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