As night fell, the area in front of the Begonia Pavilion was bustling with activity, with officials, dignitaries, and literati coming and going in an endless stream, each with an expression of anticipation and excitement on their face.
The Begonia Pavilion was brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments and lively chatter filled the air.
The air was filled with a mixture of cheap cosmetics, wine, tea, and body odor, all wafting towards us.
The junior staff member finally waited at the entrance of the Begonia Pavilion for the Chief Secretary who had come to keep the appointment, and respectfully gestured for him to enter.
"My lord, hurry! Little Peach Blossom's performance is about to begin."
The Chief Secretary stroked his mustache and stepped into the Begonia Pavilion.
"My private room is on the second floor. This way, please, Chief Secretary."
The junior aide led the chief upstairs, his gaze meeting that of a tall, pretty woman dressed as a maid downstairs. He nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.
The maid then turned and left.
Fifteen minutes later, almost everyone had arrived.
A melodious sound of string and bamboo instruments drifted over, signaling the start of the show.
As the star of the day, the courtesan Xiao Taohong, she wore exquisite makeup, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, red lips and white teeth, and skin as smooth as jade. She wore a light gauze dress as thin as a cicada's wing, and her graceful figure was revealed with each light leap and spin, drawing cheers from the guests.
As the piece ended, thunderous applause erupted from all around.
"Good! Good! Good!"
The madam then went up on the stage, said some heartfelt words to all the guests present, and then pulled Xiao Taohong off the stage.
"Mom, Young Master Li is over there, where are you taking me?"
Xiao Taohong became anxious when she saw the madam pulling her straight towards another secluded private room.
She had previously agreed with Young Master Li that he would redeem her from her servitude after she went on stage tonight.
The madam held her hand tightly, saying, "When you performed your dance just now, the young master of the Yu family paid quite a bit of money just to see you in person. Go and keep him company first."
"You go first. I will speak with Young Master Li myself."
"Mom, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"It's alright, go ahead, Mom will take care of everything."
The madam opened the door and shoved her into the private room.
"Young Master Yu, our Hong'er has arrived! You must treat our Hong'er with great care!"
Inside the private room, the fat, big-eared young master impatiently tossed a purse at the madam, "Enough with the nonsense! Get out!"
The madam took the purse, weighed it in her hand, and left with a beaming smile.
Little Peach Blossom was pulled into the arms of the fat young master, whose head resembled a pig's, and his hands and feet began to grope her.
"Young master, Hong'er will drink with you," Xiao Taohong said hurriedly, unable to break free.
"I didn't spend so much money just so you could drink with me."
After saying that, the pig-headed young master reached out and twisted her chest hard, causing Xiao Taohong to burst into tears from the pain.
Upon seeing this, the others in the private room burst into laughter.
The laughter was sharp and piercing, both cruel and cold-blooded.
Upstairs, the junior staff member listened to the commotion downstairs while constantly urging the chief secretary to drink.
"My lord, this is the famous fine wine of Haitang Pavilion. Come, let me offer you a toast."
"Xiao Bei! You're so good at handling things. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I'll never forget you." The chief secretary hiccuped, pounding his chest loudly.
What kind of wine is this? It seems different from anything I've had before. Right now, my mind is a little confused.
"I thank you in advance, Chief Secretary."
A bright smile spread across the young aide's face as he picked up his glass and took a small sip.
The chief clerk downed the wine in one gulp. This wine was damn delicious! He would definitely ask the madam where she bought it later.
"Fourth Master, please feel free to give me any instructions on what else you need me to do."
Liu Sisi stared at the extremely beautiful face behind her, unable to look away for a moment.
"It's alright, we won't do anything tonight, Sister Sisi can just watch the show."
"Wouldn't that attract too much attention?"
Liu Sisi was filled with trepidation. She knew that her master was no ordinary person. Since following him, she had never been bullied by anyone.
Every day is just eating and sleeping, or sleeping and eating, occasionally having a drink with guests.
Even the madam treated her with great respect. Although she was very curious about who her master was, she never dared to ask a single question.
Yun Si glanced at her sideways, not understanding what this silly woman was worried about.
“You’re not the main character today, doing too much will only arouse suspicion.”
Liu Sisi thought about it and agreed, nodding quickly, "Fourth Master is right, I was being too attached to appearances."
Dressed in women's clothing, with gold hairpins and earrings, wearing a fitted jacket and legs spread apart under her skirt, Yun Si was engrossed in eating the delicacies on the table at an astonishing speed.
"Fourth Master..."
Liu Sisi couldn't bear to watch and was about to say something when a scream came from the bakery across the street, followed by the sound of dishes shattering on the ground and the dull thud of a fist hitting a body.
Finally, the door to the private room was smashed open from the inside, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Give him a good beating!" the Pig-Headed Prince said arrogantly, pointing at the man who had been knocked to the ground.
"You think you can take Little Peach Blossom from me when you have no money?"
"Hit me! I'm going to kill you today, just to see you ruin your plans!"
A great battle was about to break out, and the servants of both sides immediately joined the chaotic fighting.
Finally, the chaos was brought to an end with the intervention of the government.
Meanwhile, the result was also revealed: this battle of Xiaotaohong ended with the Li family paying a heavy price.
The unconscious eldest son of the Li family was eventually carried out of Haitang Pavilion.
“Master! Everyone in the entire Southern Prefecture knows that Xiao Taohong is Master’s woman.”
"But the young masters of the Yu family, as if they had gone mad, insisted on fighting with the eldest young master for Xiao Tao Hong, which caused the eldest young master to damage his manhood."
When the head of the Li family reported back, anger naturally surged within him.
"Is the Yu family really so outrageous as to bully people like this?"
"I have no objection!" the servant said, bowing his head. The matter had already spread throughout the Begonia Pavilion; it was not that he was making trouble out of nothing.
At this moment, the doctor and his apprentice, carrying a medicine box, came out from the inner room.
The head of the Li family hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Doctor, how is my son now?"
The doctor shook his head. "Master Li, I am angry at my incompetence. I am powerless to treat Linglang's illness. Please find someone more skilled!"
"Doctor! Please speak freely!" The head of the Li family refused to give up and held tightly to her husband's arm.
"Master Li, your son's illness can only be treated with proper rest and recuperation," the doctor said vaguely, not daring to offend Master Li.
The head of the Li family wanted to say something more, but then he saw the doctor hurriedly write down a prescription and leave with his apprentice, as if the Li family were a monstrous flood.
The head of the Li family loved his son dearly and didn't say much.
The next day, word spread throughout the streets and alleys that the eldest son of the Li family had fought with a member of the Yu family over Xiao Taohong from Haitang Pavilion, resulting in damage to his genitals and rendering him unable to conceive for the rest of his life.
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