Chapter 134 [VIP]
Lady Gui approached gracefully, her lotus-like steps light and charming.
After she finished her curtsy, she sat down on a round stool, her peach blossom eyes filled with tender affection, as if shrouded in a thin mist of rain.
If Gu Zhizhuo hadn't seen her burned face beneath the veil, her eyebrows and eyes alone would have made her an absolute beauty.
Xie Danling took a small sip of tea and asked, "What can you do?"
After casually plucking a few strings of the pipa with her slender fingers, Lady Gui asked softly, "I know all the popular ones in the capital." Her voice was clear and melodious, and her every move exuded natural grace.
Xie Danling pursed her lips, thought seriously for a while, then clapped her hands and laughed: "Do you know the new storybook? I forgot the name, but it's about a scholar who falls in love at first sight with a rich merchant's daughter. The rich merchant's daughter marries him without hesitation. The scholar's family only has a blind widow mother who begs to support his studies."
Gu Zhizhuo's forehead twitched as he listened, and he asked without much hope, "After the marriage, will the wealthy merchant's daughter go begging with her widowed mother to continue supporting his studies?"
Xie Danling nodded happily: "The ones at the back are different, they're really beautiful."
Gu Zhizhuo stared blankly: "You tell me."
Xie Danling continued with great enthusiasm: "After ten years of diligent study, the scholar finally passed the provincial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination), then topped the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination. A noblewoman came to the examination hall to find a husband, but the top scholar, with righteous indignation, said that he already had a virtuous wife at home and could not bear to leave her, so he refused..."
"Don't listen."
This plot sounds infuriating.
Gu Zhizhuo pressed down on her raised hand, then handed her a round fan and said seriously, "Read less of these kinds of storybooks in the future."
"Why?"
"Watching too much of this will damage your brain."
"What? This is the best-selling storybook in the capital recently. When I stayed at your house, my third cousin brought it over and we read it together. You can't even buy it." Xie Danling peeled a longan and fed her one, then took one for herself.
"Moreover, the top scholar did not abandon his wife who had shared his hardships."
“If your mother and wife are begging outside, it means they are struggling to make ends meet and can’t survive. Instead of seeking a living, they only know how to study. This is either stupid or wicked. Whether they are stupid or wicked, they are not good people.”
"You used to like watching it too."
"So, I've lost my mind." (From my previous life.)
Xie Danling nestled on her shoulder and giggled, "I'm going to tell my cousin Chen."
Lady Gui smiled as she watched the two of them playfully bickering. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and she said gently, "There's a new song called 'Returning with the Phoenix.' Would you like to hear it, young lady?"
Xie Danling looked at her: "What were you talking about?"
Gu Zhizhu waved his hand and immediately made the decision: "Okay, let's sing this one."
"We still don't know what it's about."
"I wonder if it would be more interesting to listen to it?"
"That makes a lot of sense." Xie Danling smiled and agreed, then leaned back comfortably in her chair.
First, Gui Niangzi tested the sound, and then the music suddenly became more intense, like a thousand troops marching down.
This is a story somewhat similar to the previous one, "Mandarin Duck Pendant." Lady Gui still remembers the story of how she didn't love talented men and beautiful women, so she specially chose this one.
Xie Danling, who had been somewhat nonchalant, patted the pine nut crumbs off her hands and became serious upon hearing this.
Xie Danling is not good at playing the piano, but she is good at distinguishing sounds and loves listening to music.
After its initial fervor, the music gradually softened and became tender. Gui Niangzi parted her red lips and began to sing softly, accompanied by the sound of the pipa, her voice clear and bright like a pool.
The brass bell hanging on the door of the private room rang softly, and the young waiter pushed the door open and came in.
Gu Zhizhuo assumed they were there to serve the food and didn't pay any attention.
The waiter quietly approached their table and said humbly, "Ladies, would you mind choosing a different musician?"
He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "The shop will cover all the girls' expenses today."
Xie Danling glared at him, intending to slam her hand on the table, but as soon as she raised it, she changed her mind and gently lowered it, not wanting to disturb the music.
"We can't pay?"
joke!
She, the Fifth Princess, wouldn't be short of money, would she? Xie Danling touched her money pouch; it was flat.
Well, even if she didn't have it, her little cousin definitely did! When her little cousin bought the Taihu stone, she secretly looked inside and saw a lot of silver notes in her purse.
Xie Danling winked at Gu Zhizhuo, signaling her to throw out a stack of silver notes to scare the clueless waiter to death.
Gu Zhizhuo shoved the money bag into her hand as she wished and said, "I won't exchange it."
"My little cousin said she won't change it, didn't you hear me? Get out." If you utter another word, I'll pelt you with silver notes!
"Miss," the waiter said somewhat awkwardly, bowing, "the Prince of Jin wants someone. Could you perhaps make an exception?"
"The Prince of Jin's residence?" That's even less likely.
Seeing that she did not object, the waiter assumed she was hesitating, after all, the other party was the Prince of Jin.
He quickly added, "It's like this: Prince Jin is hosting a banquet at the Guangsha Tower, which isn't far away. Prince Jin invited a highly accomplished Taoist master to the capital, and today's banquet is for him."
The pipa music paused for a moment, but quickly resumed its flowing, more exciting rhythm, making the subtle change in pitch almost imperceptible.
Gui Niangzi lowered her eyelids, her thick eyelashes obscuring her gaze.
“Gui Niangzi’s pipa playing is unparalleled in the capital. Prince Jin specifically requested her to come over. You see…” The waiter bowed and scraped. If it weren’t for the fact that these two young ladies were dressed in luxurious clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor, and that even their maids were adorned with gold and silver, he wouldn’t have needed to explain it like this.
If you invoke the name of the Prince of Jin, who wouldn't immediately agree?
"Shall I offer you another trick?"
"Not good." Gu Zhizhu waved his hand, dismissing him.
Seeing that the waiter was still hesitant, Gu Zhizhuo grew annoyed and said, "Go tell the people from the Prince of Jin's residence that the person is with me, and that my surname is Gu. If they want the person, they can come to me themselves. Don't make things difficult for a mere waiter like you. Go ahead."
"That……"
"Sun Tianshou, Sun Tianshou! Where are you?"
A series of hurried footsteps sounded, followed by the door of the private room being pushed open with a "bang" from the outside, and a man with a large beard entered.
He was wearing a patched coarse cloth garment, the sleeves of which were particularly worn. His skin was dark, and his hands were covered in thick calluses, making him look like a laborer.
"What kind of place is this? Strangers are barging into our nice private booths." Xie Danling frowned in displeasure and was about to tell A Wu to kick everyone out when the bearded man shouted in a loud voice, "Your sister is missing!"
What! ?
The waiter turned pale with fright and blurted out, "Tianxi is missing? I told her not to come out when I left."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the handkerchief draped over his shoulder, his lips turning pale with anxiety. Xie Danling couldn't bring herself to say anything to blame him. She comforted him, "Maybe he's just gone for a little while. He'll be back soon."
"Never mind, you should go look for it."
The waiter was extremely grateful, and with a pale face, he ran out without even closing the door.
He was walking too fast, his foot slipped and he missed a step, tumbling down the stairs from the second floor to the first floor.
Xie Danling was stunned.
"How old is his sister?" she asked the bearded man.
Eight years old.
Xie Danling: "At eight years old, are you still afraid of getting lost?"
As a pampered princess in the palace, Xie Danling was unaware of the hardships of ordinary people. She wondered: Are children of ordinary people raised with such meticulous care nowadays?
Gu Zhizhuo chimed in, "Is there some kind of flower shop scam?"
A child is considered fully grown by the age of seven. Even in a noble family like theirs, an eight-year-old child would be left to his own devices without worry.
The bearded man barged into the private room, initially worried that the guests inside would be offended. However, seeing that they were relatively friendly, he breathed a sigh of relief and explained in a gruff voice, "Three children have gone missing in our alley in the last three days, all of them pretty little girls. If they were abducted by beggars and sold to those filthy places, they would be finished."
"Did you report it to the authorities?"
"Reported, reported." The bearded man sighed, "Families with children all kept their kids indoors today and wouldn't let them go out, but another one went missing."
"It's my fault for disturbing your meal, please don't complain to the manager."
The bearded man bowed repeatedly.
Finding a job in this world is too difficult. I'm strong enough to do manual labor, but Sun Tianshou has a gambling father and has to support his younger sister. If he loses this job, life will be tough.
"I won't tell on you," Xie Danling readily agreed.
The bearded man expressed his gratitude a few more times before leaving.
Gu Zhizhuo winked at Qingmei, signaling her to go and take a look, and if she could help them search, to do so.
"If you need manpower, go to the manor and transfer a few guards."
"What a kind heart this young lady has," Qingmei thought to herself. She had been sold by her own father to a matchmaker. Among those with her were other young girls from wealthy families who had been bought by flower sellers. The girls were as frightened as startled birds.
Qingmei was bought by Wushang and taken to the Eastern Depot. I never saw that little girl again.
She sighed, bowed in agreement, and followed them out.
As musicians, they could not stop the performance unless the host ordered it to.
The pipa's notes, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, depict the scene of Gui Niangzi singing about how the enemy army breached the city, and the newlyweds fled hand in hand, facing life ahead and pursuers behind.
Xie Danling was extremely nervous, and didn't even bother to peel the pine nuts.
As Gui Niangzi played her pipa, her voice, sometimes melodious and sometimes soaring, the story unfolded before them like a painting.
Other waiters quietly came over to serve the dishes, as well as chilled fruit syrup.
The song ended with a sigh as gentle as the wind and as soft as water. The woman died under the enemy's blade. To avenge her, her husband joined the army and guarded the city where they met, fell in love, and became friends, until their hair turned white.
Xie Danling sobbed softly, her eyes moist.
"It's so beautiful!" she praised without reservation. "It's even better than that story of the top scholar."
Lady Gui, holding her pipa, bowed slightly. Even a casual glance down her head exuded charm.
Xie Danling, still wanting more, said, "Sing one more song."
She gestured for Awu to give Gui Niangzi a glass of water: "It's okay to rest for a while before singing. Anyway, you're not allowed to go to Prince Jin's place." She pouted, but even when she was speaking firmly, there was no hint of arrogance.
Gu Zhizhuo sipped the fruit syrup with a smile. On this sweltering summer day, the icy-cold fruit syrup was the most refreshing thing.
"Miss Gui, if you're having trouble, you can go without worry."
Xie Danling turned to look at her, as if asking: Why?
Knowing that they were the ones who detained the people, why would the Prince of Jin dare to cause trouble?
Gu Zhizhuo slightly raised his chin, meaning that he dared not cause them any trouble, but who knows, he might cause trouble for Gui Niangzi in the future.
"Okay." Xie Danling hung her head, looking somewhat dejected.
"It was you who chose me first, Miss," said Lady Gui, plucking the strings of her pipa. "Of course, I should sing here."
"Alright, alright!" Xie Danling's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "Then sing another one. Let me think..."
She touched her lips with her finger, deep in thought.
“Let Lady Gui sing it herself,” Gu Zhizhuo sighed dramatically. “The story you chose isn’t good at all.”
Xie Danling smiled and ate the longan she had peeled herself, then waved her little hand and said, "Sing!"
Lady Gui smiled and agreed, and another story began to unfold, accompanied by music.
Just as they were getting into the story, a sudden scream rang out from outside.
"Found it! Found it!"
"Quickly. Li Laifu, go and lend a hand."
What followed was hurried footsteps and a jumble of noises, almost drowning out the music.
This street is a bit noisy. While it's nice to have a lively meal or something, Gu Zhizhuo prefers a quieter environment to listen to music.
Shouts, cries, running sounds—all sorts of noises mingled together, making it almost impossible to hear Gui Niangzi's singing. Awu went to close the window, when suddenly a loud cry rang out, trembling with tears: "Don't scare your brother! Sister, sister!"
"Let's go find a doctor!"
"Don't die, Tianxi."
“Miss…” A-Wu said with difficulty, changing her form of address, “It was that waiter from earlier. He was holding a child, and the child looked like he was about to die.”
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly stood up and quickly went to the window.
Sure enough, it was the same waiter named Sun Tianshou from before, carrying a little girl of about seven or eight years old. He was still wearing the same short-sleeved clothes, but the towel draped over his shoulders was gone.
He was only about ten years old himself. He carried him for a long time until he was almost exhausted. Then he cried so hard that his legs gave way and he fell down.
The little girl rolled out of his arms.
Xie Danling also came over to look: "Hey, it looks like she's bleeding from her neck. Is she injured?"
*Smack*
Suddenly, a string on the pipa snapped, and the broken string brushed against Gui Niangzi's fingers.
The piano music and the singing stopped simultaneously.
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and said, "Let's rest for a while."
"Yes." Lady Gui's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she said nonchalantly, "I will change to a new string."
"I'll go down and check. Cousin Danling, don't wander off."
Gu Zhizhuo left after he finished speaking.
There were already quite a few people on the street. Some ran to a clinic a street away to call a doctor, while others helped Sun Tianshou up by the arm. The bearded man picked up the little girl again.
"Young lady."
Seeing her come down, Qingmei immediately came over and said, "I found him in a dilapidated Taoist temple near his house. When I found him, he had a small hole in his neck and was bleeding. He was almost dead. I thought you were here, so I had them come over."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded.
Qingmei pushed through the crowd for her, and Gu Zhizhuo stepped forward and said, "Put her down, let me take a look."
Someone asked in surprise, "Young lady, are you a doctor?"
"I suppose so." Gu Zhizhuo didn't have time to explain too much. "There are no clinics on this street. It would take at least an incense stick to burn for a doctor to get here. She won't make it. Hurry up."
Sun Tianshou shuddered at the words "can't hold on," and the bearded man quickly put the man down on the ground.
The little girl's face was deathly pale, almost devoid of any color, even her lips were white. Gu Zhizhuo untied the blood-stained handkerchief tied around her neck. Just as Qingmei had said, there was a round hole in her neck, about the size of a chopstick, from which blood was constantly seeping out, staining most of the handkerchief red, and even Gu Zhizhuo's hands were stained with blood.
"I'll stop the bleeding first."
Gu Zhizhuo took out silver needles and began to apply them.
The amount of blood flowing from the small hole visibly decreased, and soon the bleeding stopped.
Sun Tianshou's originally anxious heart relaxed upon seeing this, and his body seemed to have all its strength drained away, collapsing limply.
There was a rustling sound all around:
"Amazing."
"The bleeding has stopped."
"This young lady must be a living goddess."
"..."
Only Qingmei noticed that Gu Zhizhuo's complexion had not improved at all, and Yingmei's brows were even more furrowed.
"Qingmei".
Gu Zhizhuo grasped her pulse, and with a thought, asked, "When you found her, was there blood around?"
The little girl was extremely cold; her skin was almost cold.
But she was still alive, which means that the other party deliberately kept her alive and bled her.
“No,” Qingmei said definitively. “There was only blood on her neck, but not much.”
“Girl.” Sun Tianshou crawled over and asked anxiously, “Is my sister alright?”
"She lost too much blood."
Gu Zhizhuo spoke frankly, "Even if it stops now, I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to survive."
Sun Tianshou was overjoyed and shocked at the same time, and almost fainted. He said with his last breath, "I have blood. Give her my blood."
"Please, young lady, please save her."
He knelt on the ground and kowtowed desperately, banging his head repeatedly.
A note from the author:
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