Chapter 63 Xie Xiu Niang
Zhang Qian didn't let me relax for long. I only stayed at home for a month before she found me a new job. It was with her cousin who was doing business in Chang'an. His surname was Song. His family would return to Mingzhou to settle down before the New Year. Before that, he wanted to find a female teacher who could teach his daughters some painting.
Zhang Qian pushed me up without hesitation and kept nagging me in my ear to behave well, saying that this was a wealthy family with high requirements but a lot of money, and that teaching for one year would at least provide for three years of living.
I didn't take it personally, thinking, "Isn't he just a merchant?" With my skills, I could easily teach his men the imperial examinations, let alone his daughters.
But Zhang Qian seemed to take it very seriously. On the day of the visit, she personally sent me to the Song Mansion and talked to me about the family's situation all the way in the carriage.
"His family is a royal merchant family. The house they built in their hometown of Yongnian is decorated with whale blubber for lighting and peppercorns for coating the walls. It's so grand and dignified, you'll understand once you see it."
"Imperial Merchant?"
Zhang Qian said a lot of things, but I only caught this one word.
"Yes, his family pays tribute to the palace with medicinal materials every year. They handle countless ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum, and their family wealth exceeds tens of millions." Zhang Qian's voice was filled with envy.
She was still saying something, but I couldn't hear it anymore. I just frowned and thought: If he was an imperial merchant, he must have been to the Xuanzheng Hall. An imperial merchant with the surname Song? It's been so long that I can't remember.
Most importantly, has he met me?
I don’t think so. Every time I paid tribute, I would hide behind the pearl curtain and record the emperor’s words. Theoretically, he could peek at me, but... which man would be so brave as to sneak a peek at me under the emperor’s nose?
Although I knew he probably didn't recognize me, I still erred on the side of caution. I sighed and said, "...I'm sorry, I probably can't take this job."
Zhang Qian was surprised and asked, "What's wrong with you? You suddenly don't want to go?"
I said, "Since you are an imperial merchant, you must have very high standards. I am just a little servant who has been fortunate enough to receive some instruction from the Empress. I am terrified to suddenly face these wealthy ladies."
Zhang Qian interrupted me hastily, "Don't say such depressing things! Yayu, I already told them your name. If you suddenly can't go, it's fine on you, but I'll definitely be branded as someone who stood you up."
"But……"
Zhang Qian seemed to really value her relationship with her cousin. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. She grabbed my hand and said, "Help me. We've come all the way here. You should at least go. If you don't want to be hired, then you can just perform worse. Anything is fine, okay?"
She also said, "And don't worry, my uncle and aunt are still on their way. The ones coming to see you this time are the mothers of those young ladies, all concubines. There's nothing to be afraid of them."
Seeing that she spoke so sincerely, I couldn't bear to refuse her. After all, she was considering my interests by introducing the job to me, so I might as well go. Besides, she also said that those who came to see me were all concubines. Manager Song had seen me through the bead curtain, but they had never seen me.
"Okay," I said, "I'll try not to embarrass you and turn down the job."
Zhang Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief, immediately put on a smile, and talked to me about something else.
Not long after, the carriage slowly drove into Yongnian County and stopped in front of a low-key and luxurious manor.
The Song family is worthy of being a royal merchant. Their decoration taste is really good. The courtyard is spacious and the houses are exquisite. It is obvious that they were guided by an expert.
"I heard that the renovations were overseen by a concubine from Chang'an," Zhang Qian said. "I heard this concubine was incredibly beautiful, unforgettable, but her family background was low, so she couldn't be the principal wife."
I nodded nonchalantly.
This visit was much the same as the last one, except that the host was away, so the old lady was in charge.
I deliberately acted a little reserved, but after just a few words, the old lady immediately noticed that I was timid and sent me away with some dissatisfaction.
I was eliminated as I wished, and I felt relieved. I hummed a song and followed the servants to look for Zhang Qian.
When I walked into the side hall, I saw Zhang Qian smiling and chatting with a woman.
Only her back was revealed. She had a charming bun on her head, an expensive ruby headpiece, and a slim figure.
Zhang Qian saw me and said to the woman, "My sister is back. I guess she's not very good with her words and didn't catch the old lady's eye. Thank you, Madam Third, for the good tea. Zhang Qian will be leaving first."
The woman's voice drifted over: "No problem, come visit often in the future."
The voice was soft and melodious, and sounded familiar, so I stopped in my tracks.
The woman turned around and glanced at me lazily.
The moment her eyes fell on my face, they suddenly widened.
Bang! A tea bowl fell to the ground.
She stood up suddenly, stared at me in disbelief, and blurted out:
"Chen Ying?"
At that moment, not only was she shocked, but my heart also fell from the sky into the depths of a valley in an instant.
The woman in front of me had raised eyebrows, red rouge at the corners of her eyes, green hair like clouds, and was charming and elegant.
Her beauty, stunning appearance, a face that did not belong in the countryside, immediately brought me back to those rich and decadent days. Many fragmented images emerged in my mind, the vermilion palace, and the man who held me captive.
I looked at her and she looked at me, and we both saw unconcealable shock in each other's eyes.
The color drained from my face.
It’s her, Xie Xiuniang.
The world is so big, I never expected to meet Xie Xiuniang here.
But why is she here?
In the hopeless silence, I heard my own voice ring out dryly: "...You, you recognized the wrong person. My name is Wang Yayu, not Chen Ying."
She ignored me and rushed to me without saying anything, commanding, "Lift your face up!"
I was horrified and turned around to run, but she grabbed my wrist tightly, with a force as strong as an iron hoop, and forced me to raise my face.
After a while, she whispered, "...Chen Ying, it really is you."
My legs went weak and I almost fell to the ground.
It's all over.
Xie Xiuniang was born into a teaching troupe. Women who learned to dance were often exposed to cosmetics and makeup. They looked at people's bones first and then their skin, so she recognized me easily.
The manager said that she followed a merchant who came to Chang'an to do business, but upon closer thought, the only one who could redeem the top performer in the Jiaofangsi was an imperial merchant who had close ties with the Inner Court.
I hid my real name and was extremely careful, but in the end, I made a mistake and met an old friend in the completely wrong place.
What should I do now? Will she take me to the emperor?
Thinking of this inevitable outcome, an indescribable fear gripped my throat.
Li Siyan will tear me to pieces.
Xie Xiuniang pursed her lips tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on my face. I could almost hear the rapid calculations and weighings in her mind.
At this moment, Zhang Qianfang came to her senses and hurried to my side, saying to Xie Xiuniang, "Madam, you really have the wrong person. She is the female teacher we hired. Her surname is Wang, and her name is Yayu. She was originally a maidservant by the Empress before she got married."
Xie Xiuniang revealed a look of realization and murmured, "Queen? No wonder you were able to hide for so long..."
After a moment of hesitation, her eyes became extremely cold, as if she had returned to the days when she was dancing the Breaking Formation Song at the Jiaofangsi. She shouted sternly, "Catch her!"
She really wants to catch me!
no!
Don't let it fall into her hands!
The footsteps of the Song family servants were getting closer and closer. I bit the back of Xie Xiu Niang's hand, turned around and ran out without caring about anything.
A sturdy gatekeeper tried to stop me and stretched out his big hand like a palm-leaf fan towards me. I ducked to avoid it, but a thinner servant came from the side and knocked me to the ground when I was not prepared.
With a bang, I fell in front of the gate of the Song Mansion and saw the bronze door slowly closing in front of me.
Xie Xiuniang screamed, "Don't hurt her! She's the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor's woman! If we hurt her, we'll all die!"
Upon hearing this, the servants slowed down their movements and looked at each other in confusion.
My hair was disheveled, my eyes were red, and I was panting like a trapped animal.
Seeing these people getting closer and closer and there was no possibility of escaping, I was completely desperate. I gritted my teeth, pulled out a sharp hairpin, and stabbed it into my neck.
Zhang Qian was so frightened that she froze. Xie Xiuniang's pupils shrank and she screamed, "You can't die here! Stop her!"
At this time, my hairpin had already scratched the side of her neck, leaving a deep scar. The moment before the hairpin broke, she rushed to me and knocked the sharp object down. I reached out to pick it up, but she hugged me tightly regardless. Her arm strength was so great that she didn't seem like a woman at all.
Hearing the noise in the front hall, a large group of women ran out from the backyard, led by the old woman who had just come to see me. When she saw me and Xie Xiuniang entangled and fighting like mad women, the wrinkles on her face changed shape in shock.
"Xie Xiuniang! What are you doing!" the old woman shouted in shock and anger.
Xie Xiuniang clutched my bleeding neck, struggling to avoid my bites. Her face twisted as she spoke, "Old lady! This woman is the Chen Ying I've been searching for for a year! I performed for her in Chang'an, and I remember her face perfectly! If you don't believe me, old lady, wash off the powder on her face and see if it's the same one on the plaster at the city gate!"
"Wha…what?"
Xie Xiuniang shouted, "Don't let her run away!"
Old Madam Song dropped her cane and turned to Zhang Qian in disbelief. Zhang Qian, still in shock, kept repeating, "I... I don't know. She has all the necessary documents and travel documents... How could she be the missing imperial concubine?"
Xie Xiuniang was hit by me three times, and tears welled up in her eyes due to the pain, but she still managed to hold on and tie me up tightly. She used the method used in the palace to tie up the ladies of noble families, restricting my movements while preventing me from hurting myself.
She gasped, "It was the Queen. She gave her the identity. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to escape the repeated interrogations. Old lady, she wasn't lost at all. She prepared the necessary documents and thought of a way to make a living from the very beginning. She was deliberately planning to escape!"
Her handkerchief was stuffed in my mouth, and I was unable to speak.
"When you used your seductive words to flatter me and ordered me to play the pipa, did you ever imagine this day would come?"
Xie Xiuniang's eyes were as clear as a wild cat, with a mean excitement, as if if I were tied up, the person who could sit in the emperor's arms and listen to the pipa would become her.
“That’s enough!”
The old voice tore the eardrums.
Old Mrs. Song walked up to me with a cane, glared at Xie Xiu Niang, and suddenly slapped her in the face.
Xie Xiuniang screamed, covering her face in panic, and stammered, "Old Madam..."
"Shut up! You idiot!" The old lady slammed her cane. "No matter what, she's still the Imperial Concubine. How can someone as lowly as you touch her so casually?"
Xie Xiuniang's eyes were filled with resentment. After a moment's thought, she lifted her skirt, knelt down, kowtowed to me, and said with forced respect, "Your Highness, I have offended you greatly just now, and I am willing to accept the punishment."
I wanted to speak, but with a handkerchief stuffed in my mouth, I could only make a humming sound.
Xie Xiuniang wanted to pull out the handkerchief, but Old Lady Song stopped her calmly.
Old Madam Song glanced at my wound with concern and said respectfully, "My concubine and the servants are ignorant. I think they frightened the Imperial Concubine, causing her to accidentally hurt herself. However, the Song Mansion is remote and it is difficult to find a good doctor. I heard that my nephew-in-law was ordered to look for the Imperial Concubine. Why don't you go to Qian's residence first, and I will come to visit later?"
My eyes widened and I whimpered even louder.
No! Absolutely not!
Mr. Zhang Qian is in charge of the county's post stations and defense. If I fall into his hands, Chang'an will get news of me in just ten days. By then...
Just thinking about it makes me tremble with fear.
Old Madam Song said to Zhang Qian with a pleasant expression, "What do you think?"
Zhang Qian finally calmed down a little and looked at me.
After a brief moment of surprise, she turned back into the shrewd woman who could weigh the pros and cons and act decisively.
Meeting my pleading gaze, she hardened her heart, turned her head away, and bowed to Old Madam Song: "Please rest assured, Madam, your niece will take good care of the Imperial Concubine."
"That's great." Old Mrs. Song nodded.
This is the style of the big family. Stability comes first. If I don’t want to be decent, she will help me be decent.
I was wrapped tightly, like a hot potato, and was kicked to Zhang Qian by Old Lady Song in a few seconds.
Zhang Qian took it without hesitation.
"...Why did you come to Mingzhou?"
This was the only sentence Zhang Qian said to me on the way to her house.
My eyes were empty as if they were dead.
"Forget it, you don't have to tell me." She carried me into an empty room, sat at the head of my bed, and said nonsensically, "I'm not really sorry for you. It was the emperor who wanted to find you. You can't hide from me, but if you fall into my husband's hands, at least you won't get away with it."
After she finished, she probably felt herself to be quite a jerk. She was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I've always found it strange. Although you claim to have served the Queen's maid, your demeanor and bearing don't look like a maid at all. I thought it was the natural nobility of the people of Chang'an, but I didn't expect you to have such a prominent background."
"Now that you've come to me, don't even think about committing suicide. I'm not that idiot as Xie Xiuniang. I won't give you that chance." Zhang Qian said, "Why are you trying to commit suicide? You're still a concubine. The emperor has spent so much effort looking for you. He has you in his heart. If you admit your mistake and use Xiaoyi to coax him, you can still live a life of luxury..."
Her voice seemed to come from far away, buzzing in my ears. I listened blankly, my heart like a scorched earth, without the ability to think, only endless despair.
Why? I want to know why too.
I paid so much price, risked my life to get out of the mountains, dodged so many pursuits along the way before reaching Mingzhou. After settling down, I was also extremely cautious. How could I have capsized in the gutter?
What should a person do to escape the misfortune arranged by God?
My father and brother accepted death calmly. Perhaps for people in desperate situations, this is the most decent destination, but I didn’t even have the chance to kill myself.
I tried fasting, but it was no use. Zhang Qian was not afraid of offending me at all. She pried open my teeth and forced the soup into my mouth. She felt from the bottom of her heart that this was for my own good, because she couldn't imagine how a woman could give up her job as a concubine and come to this remote place to teach her brother to paint.
"You noble men are really hard to understand,"
She helped me put on her best clothes and said with emotion, "But you will be able to return soon. My husband has sent the fastest Dayuan horse to Chang'an to deliver a message. According to the date, the news should have been delivered to Chang'an by now."
In other words, at this moment, Li Siyan already knew that I was still alive.
I couldn't stop shaking.
He's coming to take me back.
Maybe this time he won't be so merciful and just lock me up. I lied to him, and he spent so much money to find me. Now that he gets what he wants, how could he let it go?
I can't imagine what he will do to me. Li Siyan said that he is best at torturing people. He has personally driven crazy countless old ministers who opposed him. I am so scared that I dare not even think about it.
He is a madman, a madman whose behavior is completely unpredictable.
When Zhang Qian left, she took away all the sharp objects in the room and covered the walls with thick quilts. Catching my resentful look, she said awkwardly, "Your Highness is beloved by His Majesty. You must not hurt yourself."
The second half of the sentence she didn't say was: Even if you want to hurt yourself, don't do it on her territory.
The door locked with a click, and she left calmly.
I struggled to get up, feeling dizzy. Zhang Qian was afraid that I would get too tired, so she gave me a decoction that would make me unconscious. The effect of this decoction was very strong, just like the Ten Fragrance Softening Muscle Powder described in the storybook.
Before his hand even touched the window, it dropped down weakly.
I leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, and kept my eyes open, watching the sunset outside gradually setting, casting a blood-red cast on the window paper.
It was another day closer for Li Siyan to arrive in Mingzhou.
He must be shocked and angry at this moment. I slowly closed my eyes and recalled how he looked when he was angry.
He can still get angry with me, even if that's a good thing. What I fear most is that he looks at me expressionlessly, as if he is looking at a dying prey.
no!
I don't know where the strength came from, but I stood up shakily and walked towards the only door of the hut.
I grabbed the lamp stand with all my strength and prepared to break down the damn door.
But what I didn't expect was that before I even exerted any force, the door opened by itself from the outside.
Through the gap, I saw what was happening outside.
It was the middle of the night, the moonlight was cold, and the wind was howling. As far as the eye could see, several guards were lying on the ground with a few wine bottles rolling beside them.
A figure was dragging their bodies with great effort, as if trying to line them up.
"Mr. Zhang, don't worry about them. The most important thing is to save our wife!" A little girl's voice sounded anxiously.
"Wait a moment, wait a moment, it will be ready soon." The man was sweating profusely.
I slowly let go of the lamp stand, and tears of ecstasy rushed to my eyes.
It’s Xiaozhi and Zhang Zhi.
Finally someone came to rescue me.
Zhang Zhi still seems to have not figured out the situation.
When he returned from the examination in Luoyang, as soon as he got off the carriage, his sister hurriedly told him that his master Wang Yayu was not the maidservant of the Queen, but her real identity was the Emperor's lost concubine, and she would return to Chang'an soon.
The imperial concubine whose portrait was plastered everywhere?
Zhang Zhi was stunned on the spot.
"Could it be a mistake?"
Before he could finish his words, his sister covered his mouth in a rage, "Stop talking, it's absolutely true. I'm warning you, don't get lost in this puddle of water. Go back to Mingzhou honestly. You have nothing to do here!"
Not only Zhang Zhi, but Tan Wei and Kai Zhi were also greatly frightened. Especially Kai Zhi, when he first heard my identity, he was so frightened that he sat down on the ground, muttering: "Madam Wang is the Imperial Concubine? Oh my God... How is it possible?"
Zhang Zhi also couldn't accept this fact. In his concept, a master is a master and has no other identity. If he has another identity, then there must be something wrong.
In fact, it’s not his fault. It’s just that my image is far from that of a traditional concubine. If I didn’t say it, who would have imagined that a woman who loves to paint erotic pictures and is so poor that she can’t even rent a house is the most favored concubine in the dynasty?
In the afternoon, Zhang Zhi walked out of the house as if sleepwalking, and happened to bump into a maid in front of the door. The maid was Xiaozhi.
Xiaozhi was the first person to notice that I was missing.
I hadn't returned for two nights, and she was extremely worried. She first went to Zhang Qian's house to inquire about it. Zhang Qian evaded her by saying that I would be staying at her house for a few days. Xiaozhi didn't believe it, so she went to report to the authorities. Zhang Qian saw that she was stubborn and was afraid that she would cause trouble, so she had to tell her the truth and secretly warned her not to make any noise.
Not allowed to tell anyone? Xiaozhi doesn't believe this nonsense.
The year before she was sold, she lived under house arrest almost every day. She finally escaped and was afraid that I would fall into the same situation. She was extremely anxious. When she was thinking of a solution outside, she suddenly saw Zhang Zhi.
"I've convinced Master Zhang." Xiaozhi swiftly picked me up and placed me on Zhang Zhi's back. "I say, once a teacher, always a father. If you watch your teacher imprisoned without saving him, you can't call yourself a gentleman."
Zhang Zhi nodded in agreement.
I was carried on the back of my good disciple. Although I was very touched, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart: Zhang Qian is also unlucky. She planned everything, but she didn't expect to be defeated by her pig brother who betrayed her sister...
"That's not right? Then how do you deal with these guards?" I asked.
Xiaozhi put stones under the earthen wall and replied, "It was me. I secretly added something to the wine. They won't wake up for a while."
"Xiaozhi is so amazing!"
I was so moved that tears welled up in my eyes. I have had terrible luck in meeting men, but the maids and servants I met were all smart and capable. This shows that God is fair. When he closes a door for you, he will definitely open several windows.
I used to despise her for being so quiet, but now I realize that the three taels of silver I spent on the small branch of flowers was definitely the most worthwhile money I have ever spent in my life!
Zhang Zhi and Xiaozhi took advantage of the night, put me on a donkey cart, and hurried south.
"There's a ferry heading south that leaves every morning. Madam Zhang didn't want word to leak out and attract bad people, so she didn't reveal your whereabouts." Xiaozhi held onto the side of the car steadily. "Let's get on the ferry and continue south. We'll find a place to stay later."
I hummed, glanced at Zhang Zhi's back, and said hesitantly, "Will your sister be punished?"
Zhang Zhi scratched his head: "I don't know either...but she's always smart and always finds a way to deal with it."
Fortunately, Zhang Qian didn’t hear it, otherwise she would have been so angry that she would have fainted.
I fell silent.
Just as Zhang Zhi said, it was not difficult for Zhang Qian to cope with it.
Admittedly, it was a serious sin to not keep an eye on me, but Li Siyan was in a rage and would not be in the mood to pick on a nobody like her. If she was smart enough, she could just push the blame onto some bandits and get away with it, and maybe she wouldn't even have to be punished.
I instructed Zhang Zhi: "When you return, first apologize to your sister. Then ask her to tell the emperor that I was kidnapped by a group of men in black armor. They look like they come from the military, and there are words embroidered on the backs of their clothes... That way, the emperor won't suspect you."
Zhang Zhi was kind enough to save me, but I can’t let him get involved.
Zhang Zhi nodded: "Okay, I'll tell my sister this."
He looked ahead and said, "We're almost at the ferry. I can't escort you any further. Master, what drug have you taken? Can you walk now?"
Xiaozhi said, "It's the anesthetic that doctors use to anesthetize patients. It won't hurt your body. Just take it slowly."
Zhang Qian was afraid of drugging me to death, so she didn't give me a heavy dose. Xiaozhi fed me two sips of hangover medicine, and my limbs gradually regained strength.
I said to Zhang Zhi, "It's all right to walk, but I'm afraid the night will be long and full of dreams. We must hurry and get on board."
He parked the car on a street not far away. In the dim morning light, Xiaozhi supported me and we walked towards Gudu step by step.
The scenery of the land of Yan and Zhao is desolate, with mountains and seas everywhere. Only in such a land can there be the beautiful line "The wind is whistling and the Yi River is cold, and the hero will never return once he leaves." I looked back at Zhang Zhi, he smiled shyly at me and bowed deeply.
Everyone treats me as an ignorant concubine, only he and Xiaozhi treat me as an ordinary person with emotions.
They saved me and took such a huge risk, but I have no way to repay them. I just know that I can't let their kindness go to waste.
I held back my tears and held Xiaozhi's hand tightly.
"Let's go."
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