musician
Looking out the window, on the platform halfway up the stairs, there was a curved zither table that had been placed there at some point. On the table sat a seven-stringed zither, its black lacquer stained with water patterns and shaped like a phoenix's tail.
A woman sat gracefully behind the zither, wearing a moon-white dress and a light veil covering her face, revealing her bright eyes and slender hands.
The music flowed like water from her ten fingers, gently entering the ear with a light and soft melody. In this bustling teahouse, there was a tranquil and profound charm, like a pool of clear water flowing into a muddy stream, washing away all impurities and taking away countless sorrows.
The tea drinkers were so engrossed in the music that they heard the sound of the strings gradually increase in speed and volume, like a waterfall cascading down thousands of feet, the mist transforming into a dragon, its roar soaring into the sky, leaving behind a lingering echo.
After a moment of silence, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
On the platform inside the building, the woman playing the zither bowed in thanks and was about to leave with her zither.
"Wait!" A shout came from the private room. The tea drinkers looked up and saw a man in fine clothes leaning out of the window and shouting.
"The musician plays so well, why don't you introduce him? Your Yiyeju is so disrespectful!"
Many tea drinkers agreed with this and kept asking where the musician came from and what his name was. Some even went upstairs and shouted at the musician. Several waiters rushed to stop them, and the tea room was in chaos for a moment.
“He showed absolutely no respect,” Lu Tongxue said. She had been moved by the music, but this interruption made her dislike the young master Jiang even more. “He made the musician feel so embarrassed, standing there at a loss for what to do.”
Xiao Yu looked at the person on the stage and laughed, "He looks like a novice, but I didn't expect him to have such a unique skill."
Mu Qing recalled the feeling of excitement she had when listening to the music and couldn't help but say, "The waiter even said that she composed and played it herself."
Zhong Linlan also looked at the platform with admiration, "She is not very old, but she should be considered exceptionally talented."
“Her face is covered, how can you tell she’s not old?” Lu Tongxue lifted a corner of her veil, glanced at her, and excitedly patted Mu Qing. “Ah, her eyes seem to speak volumes, she looks a bit like you, Sister Qing.”
"Is...is that so?" Mu Qing looked through the veil but couldn't see clearly. However, she saw that the young prince and Zhong Linlan both turned to look at her and nodded in unison.
Mu Qing felt inexplicably uneasy. Before she could sort out her unease, she heard a not-so-unfamiliar voice coming from upstairs.
"I am Ye Yu, the owner of Yi Ye Ju. Please be quiet and listen to me."
A young man in a blue robe walked onto the platform and, after everyone quieted down, continued, "The musician we invited was originally from a noble family. Due to a family tragedy, she is now making a living here. It is really inconvenient to reveal her background, so we hope you will understand."
Some of the tea drinkers nodded, while others pleaded, "Boss Ye, at least tell us what that piece of music was called."
Boss Ye said, "That piece of music is meant to make people forget their worries, so the name of the piece is 'Forget Worries'."
Listening to the music was a time to forget one's worries, and everyone, reflecting on their feelings just now, nodded in agreement.
But then Young Master Jiang called out again: "I was originally carefree, but this song has brought me sorrow. When will I be able to hear sorrow a second time?"
Everyone thought he was going to cause trouble, but when they heard the second half of his sentence, they all burst into laughter.
Boss Ye looked towards the window, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised, a half-smile on her face, "The musician will perform on the fifth day of the month from now on. You can come and listen again in three days."
Young Master Jiang said, "She has quite a bit of free time. I'd like to buy some. Name your price."
Boss Ye said, "The musician is busy practicing and composing music, and has no free time. Besides, if Young Master Jiang becomes worried after listening to just one piece, wouldn't he become more worried the more he listens? It would be better to give up this idea."
These words left Young Master Jiang speechless, and many tea drinkers whistled as if watching a good show.
Afterwards, Boss Ye chatted and laughed with the crowd on stage for a few more minutes before escorting the musician downstairs and leaving, while Young Master Jiang disappeared through the window with a gloomy expression.
Xiao Yu replied, "He is never one to give up easily. The reason he's willing to let go this time is probably because Imperial Censor Zhong is here."
“He might give me some face, but with the Prince here, he probably wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.” Zhong Linlan said, his expression suddenly changing. “If he’s not causing trouble here, he might have gone somewhere else. I have to go and see.”
Seeing him leave in a hurry, Lu Tongxue asked worriedly, "Could it be that Young Master Jiang chased after the musician?"
"It's possible, but since Imperial Censor Zhong has gone, he should be fine."
Xiao Yu took a sip of tea, closed the window, and, using the light filtering through the window paper, lifted the white veil on Mu Qingwei's hat. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you afraid of that Young Master Jiang too?"
Upon revealing his face, Mu Qing felt rather uncomfortable and nodded in response.
Xiao Yu said gently, "There's no need to be afraid of him. He may seem reckless, but he knows his limits and won't dare to provoke you."
Mu Qing knew that the prince's status could intimidate people, but she was lost in thought just now because of that Boss Ye.
Even with a fake male voice and disguised as a man, it's still easy to recognize that it's Ayu. Why would she disguise herself as a man to open a teahouse, especially in such a bustling place? Isn't she afraid of being exposed?
Then he thought again, since he was the only one in the village with a warrant for his arrest, and the others who had escaped were safe, there was no need for him to expose them.
With her heart at ease, Mu Qing naturally began to talk, chatting with the young prince for a while and gaining some knowledge about tea and music, until Lu Tongxue silently drank several pots of tea beside her and urged her to go home.
As dusk settled, all the tea drinkers at Yiyeju Tea House dispersed, leaving the building dark, but lights shone in the backyard.
A flat gauze lamp in the corner cast a soft, yellowish light, and a woman sat at the zither table, plucking the strings from time to time.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and the old woman who was in the room went to open it.
"Mr. Ye, is there something you need?"
Boss Ye stood at the door, handing the old woman a box of silver, a smile appearing on his handsome face. "Aunt Man, this is the betrothal money we agreed on. Miss Lu's musical skills are indeed superb; many distinguished guests who came to the teahouse today have praised her highly."
Aunt Man glanced at the silver in the box; it was more than agreed upon. She said calmly, "But we haven't decided whether to leave it behind."
Boss Ye glanced at the woman inside the door. "Miss Lu, didn't we already agree on this?"
Miss Lu came out, looking somewhat confused. "I wanted to stay..."
Aunt Man sighed, "Although nothing went wrong at the teahouse today, it was still nerve-wracking. If my daughter had been embarrassed, it would have been a huge loss."
"Don't worry, the waiters I hired are all quick-witted, and I'm also a trained fighter. I won't let your young lady get hurt in the slightest."
Seeing that Aunt Man's expression remained unchanged, Boss Ye's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "Does Aunt Man still want to go to the Lu family to recognize her relatives?"
Aunt Man opened her mouth, but then stopped herself from speaking.
Boss Ye smiled knowingly, "I'll say it again: no one will believe you, and even if someone does, they won't acknowledge you as their daughter. For a high-ranking family like yours, losing one daughter and then finding another, wouldn't that just make you a laughingstock?"
Aunt Man's lips drooped slightly. Having arrived in Weizhou, she had already inquired and learned that the Lu family had found their daughter two years ago. Disheartened, they had settled in this teahouse.
However, when Miss Lu came to the teahouse today, she pretended to be a waiter sweeping the floor and took the opportunity to chat with a maid from the Lu family.
Aunt Man turned and looked at the girl's eyes beside her. "I heard that the third wife of the Lu family also has such affectionate eyes."
Boss Ye paused for a moment, then said, "You must have heard that the daughter the Lu family found is almost a carbon copy of the Third Madam. Your daughter only resembles her in the eyes; can she compare?"
"Moreover, because of you, I made a special inquiry and found out that the third wife of the Lu family and her daughter are both great beauties. Although your daughter has good eyes, she can only be considered pretty."
Seeing the woman turn away with a somber expression, Boss Ye softened his tone: "If it weren't for recognizing relatives, appearance wouldn't really matter. Miss Lu is truly gifted to compose such a piece of music. If she could focus on this art, she might become famous for all time."
Miss Lu looked grateful and took Aunt Man's arm, saying, "Godmother, we don't need to acknowledge our kinship anymore."
A faint glow appeared on her face. "Just like I said before, I am just Lu Xier. From now on, I will become a qin player, cultivate a good reputation, and become a tutor in the future to teach qin skills to young ladies. I will make a living by my own abilities."
Aunt Man shook her head. "In this day and age, even a musician who teaches young ladies the zither needs to have a good background."
Mr. Ye said, "With Miss Lu's talent, it's only a matter of time before she becomes famous. Once a person's talent and fame reach a certain level, their background becomes unimportant."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xier's face lit up with delight and longing.
Aunt Man couldn't bear to disagree, "Boss Ye, then let's stay here for now."
After Boss Ye left the courtyard, the two returned to their room.
Under the dim yellow light, Aunt Man touched the children's clothes and shoes she had found earlier again and again.
Back then, when that nobleman handed over two-year-old Xi'er to her, she was terrified.
The children sent to brothels were all from impoverished backgrounds. But look at their clothes, embroidered with gold and silver threads, and their silk shoes adorned with pearls; one glance is enough to tell that these children must be daughters of wealthy families.
The nobleman smiled sinisterly, instructing her to teach the child to experience love from a young age, and to train her into the most seductive and wanton girl in the world of pleasure.
Those words were full of resentment and malice, and recalling them after many years still sends chills down one's spine.
She was his subordinate, living off him, and was obliged to obey his orders, but she couldn't help but probe a few questions, thus learning that the child was the daughter of the nobleman's political enemy.
Raising a child from the age of two means starting by feeding her and teaching her to speak.
Aside from not being her biological child, this child grew up exactly according to her wishes.
When she was seven or eight years old, it became clear that although she was not particularly beautiful, she had a beautiful voice and a talent for music. It would be a waste for her to become a low-class prostitute who relied on her looks, so they secretly changed her name and hid her away, letting her learn music.
He was constantly on edge, fearing that the nobleman would discover his crimes, until the nobleman was convicted and beheaded at the Meridian Gate.
After a thorough investigation and the implication of others, she fled with Xi'er overnight. Only after the news had died down did she return to the capital. There, she learned that the Minister of Rites, who had searched the entire city for his daughter, had resigned due to illness and returned to his hometown of Weizhou.
They traveled a long way to reunite with their relatives, but little did they know that the Lu family had already found their "daughter" long ago.
So where did these counterfeit goods come from?
“Godmother, perhaps I really am not that Miss Lu, and the former Minister of Rites is now without any official position, so why bother trying to claim kinship?”
With a resolute expression, Lu Xier took out a gold lock from her bosom, removed it from her neck, and placed it with the child's clothes.
Besides the congratulatory message, the golden lock also had the character "Lu" engraved in seal script.
Aunt Man inquired at a gold shop in Beijing and learned that the Lu family had ordered two identical gold locks, one for their daughter and one for their son.
"No matter what, this is a longevity lock given to you by your own parents. How can you take it off?"
Aunt Man hurriedly hung the gold lock back around Lu Xier's neck. Looking at the gold lock sparkling, she couldn't help but feel regretful again.
"We should inquire whether Miss Lu's name is Qingxue."
When that nobleman asked in a sinister tone to give Xi'er the nickname "Qingxue," she guessed that it might be her real name, but since women from wealthy families did not reveal their names, it was inconvenient to verify.
Hearing the name she was called when she was young, Lu Xier smiled bitterly and said, "Qingxue, it sounds like a beauty, but I am not."
"Who said that?" Aunt Man pulled her into her arms. "She may not be a great beauty, but she's still a pretty girl. That Boss Ye just wants you to play the zither for her teahouse, so she's deliberately suppressing you. She might even be jealous that you, as a woman, have such good zither skills."
"We're both women?!" Lu Xi'er exclaimed in surprise.
“Your godmother is no pushover. I’ve seen more men and women in my life than most people have in several lifetimes combined. That Boss Ye is undoubtedly a woman disguised as a man, but she has a heroic appearance, so it’s not easy to tell.”
Aunt Man chuckled and said, "We can't listen to her completely, but it's not bad to use this place to make a name for yourself. There are several ladies and young women among the guests at the teahouse today. If they come again, I'll find a way to get to know them."
She folded the children's clothes and shoes and put them back in the box.
Physical evidence is ultimately inanimate. If the imposter accuses them of picking it up or stealing it, all their efforts will be in vain. They need to find out more about the evidence and proceed cautiously.
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