Yangzhou is one of the most famous places for lyrics and music in the world, and the Eight Great Hutongs are a world-renowned red-light district.
This gives Kazama a subtle, delicate, feminine scent.
The shops on both sides of the road were neat and tidy, with their doors wide open, revealing their stylish interiors. Customers came and went in a steady stream, making it a bustling scene. Small stalls were scattered in front of the shops and along the roadside. Although it was already winter, the vendors were still calling out to make a living, their voices rising and falling, attracting a few passersby from time to time.
The wind was slightly chilly, and most of the passersby were dressed in thick clothes, exhaling a wisp of steam with each soft breath.
Light snowflakes drifted down from the sky, gradually piling up on the ground in patches of stark white.
Zhuang Su sat in the carriage that Liu Su had summoned, with the wind reduced. Listening to the commotion outside, she couldn't help but lift the curtain to look out with interest. Liu Su, watching her from inside the carriage, smiled gently and instructed the driver, "Go to the inn in the south of the city."
Upon hearing this, the driver couldn't help but ask, "There's a decent shop in the north of the city. Are we still heading to the south?"
"Let's go." Liu Su glanced at the inn's signboard hanging high in the distance and said good-naturedly, "This inn is not suitable for us."
Seeing his distant expression, the coachman didn't ask any further questions, flicked his whip, and spurred the horse away.
Zhuang Su lowered the carriage curtain after hearing the conversation and asked, "Second Senior Brother, is there a problem with this family in the north of the city?"
Liu Su smiled slightly and took out a plaque from her bosom.
The sign was somewhat worn, bronze in color, with slightly faded engravings, but the words "One Leaf Alliance" were still faintly discernible. Zhuang Su suddenly understood, and couldn't help but glance back at the receding inn, murmuring, "Could this shop be..."
“Yes.” Liu Su put the token away, looking at her with a half-smile. “I could have traveled peacefully with this token all the way, but who knew I would run into a scourge like you.”
Zhuang Su knew he was teasing her, so she pouted and muttered, "I know I owe you a favor, right?"
They had arrived at the inn in the south of the city. Liusu didn't answer her, turned around and jumped off the carriage first, then helped Zhuangsu down. Her legs were a little sore from the bumpy ride. Zhuangsu patted the dust off her clothes and looked up to see the four characters "Yuanju Inn." The plaque was newly painted, gleaming, and the four characters of the name were edged with a thin layer of gold, making it very eye-catching.
Liu Su led the pile inside.
The inn was doing exceptionally well. As they entered, a waiter greeted them politely and led them to the counter. The innkeeper, also smiling broadly and with a kind face, asked, "Are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"
"I'll stay at the inn," Liu Su replied, glancing at the bustling crowd and asking curiously, "Manager, your inn is doing quite well."
The innkeeper, flipping through the ledger, replied cheerfully, "It's not just me who's doing well. The annual Flower Queen Festival is just around the corner, and there are so many people coming to Yangzhou these days. I'm afraid all the inns in the city are almost full."
"The Flower Queen Festival?" Zhuang Su asked, puzzled. "What's that?"
"Didn't you come here for the Flower Queen Festival?" the shopkeeper asked curiously. "The Flower Queen Festival in Yangzhou is a grand event in the fireworks industry, and it's not limited to Yangzhou. If any brothel wants to become famous throughout the world, the best way is to have its girls win first place at this Flower Queen Festival."
"So... are all these people here to watch?" Zhuang Su pointed to some young talents behind him.
"Of course. There's only one chance like this Flower Queen Festival to witness the beauty of all the courtesans at the same time." The innkeeper, getting quite excited as he spoke, finished looking at the ledger and said with a smile, "Room number seven in the Heaven section is still available. Would you two like to stay there?"
Liu Su was taken aback: "We need to book two rooms."
"I'm afraid not." The innkeeper flipped through the ledger again and said helplessly, "Right now, not only is my place fully booked, but the whole city is probably full. Why don't you two just make do with this place?"
"This... I don't care, it's just Su Su..."
When Zhuang Su saw Liu Su asking, although she was also in a dilemma, she replied, "One room is fine, it's alright."
"This way, gentlemen—" Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately gestured and cheerfully led the way for them. Zhuang Su's face flushed slightly, and she followed with her head down. Liu Su knew what she was thinking, so she didn't say anything more and handed the deposit to the shopkeeper.
The room in the "Tian" section was extremely elegant. Zhuang Su gently pushed open the window. Although the wind that came in was slightly chilly, outside the window was the plum blossom grove in the backyard of the inn. Looking around, the red shadows dotted the ground, which was quite beautiful. She couldn't help but call out to Liu Su, "Second Senior Brother, come and see."
Hearing her call, Liusu put down the book she was holding on the table, walked closer, and couldn't help but exclaim, "I didn't expect this little inn to have such style."
Zhuang Su laughed and said, "That's what you call 'a true master who doesn't reveal his abilities'."
Liu Su patted her head, but not too hard: "You... do you want to go to the Flower Queen Festival?"
Zhuang Su leaned against the window, her expression momentarily frozen: "I'm worried about Shen Jian."
For a moment, no one spoke. Liu Su glanced at her expression, then turned his gaze back to the plum grove, the red blossoms seeming to reflect in his eyes: "The plum blossoms of yesteryear have faded, a graceful turn of the head in a dance. Fallen petals still drift with the flowing water, yet they say the flowers are in full bloom and the moon is round, let us not sigh in vain at parting..." He sang softly, his melodious voice seemingly possessing a unique ethereal quality.
Zhuang Su was taken aback when he realized that he had written the lyrics himself.
Liu Su pursed his lips slightly and murmured, "Su Su, do you remember? I once said that I would make your lyrics known throughout the world, and I would make you famous..." At that moment, something extra seemed to appear in his gentle eyes.
Zhuang Su's heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Liusu leaned against her side, singing softly in her unique voice.
At this moment, he sang only for her. It carried a unique warmth. His voice seemed like a delicate hand gently plucking at the strings of her heart. Zhuang Su felt as if she were slightly intoxicated.
Suddenly, the tinkling sound of a piano came through, drowning out Liusu's soft singing.
The two looked down and saw a zither in a corner of the courtyard, where someone was leisurely playing the strings with slender fingers.
The woman, dressed in a dazzling red gown, stood alone and forlorn. She blended perfectly with the plum blossoms, like a scene from a painting. Zhuang Su sensed that she seemed to glance at them subtly, and with a wave of her hand, a melody flowed forth like a mountain stream, ceaselessly.
Zhuang Su was immediately amazed by her piano skills.
She had listened to Su Qiao play many times when she was in the South Courtyard. At that time, the world-renowned qin player Li Mo also praised her for her exquisite music. However, the woman in front of her now was no less impressive.
However… as Zhuang Su listened to the tender and melodious music, her brow furrowed slightly. She seemed to sense that something was missing.
At this moment, a slight commotion arose below the inn. When Zhuang Su came to her senses, she saw the woman throw her guqin in the courtyard and hurriedly run to the front hall. She and Liu Su exchanged surprised glances and went out to find out what was going on.
Reaching the top of the stairs, looking down, the once tidy shop was now in complete chaos. Several people were lying on the ground, and a young man was grabbing a woman's chin with an arrogant expression. Just as Zhuang Su was about to go downstairs, Liu Su grabbed her. At that moment, a shout was heard, and a woman in red ran over and snatched the woman from the man's grasp.
"Que'er, why did you come out?" The woman felt even more sorrowful upon seeing her.
That woman was the one Zhuang Su and the others had seen playing the zither in the backyard.
Hearing the woman say this, the woman smiled slightly and said, "Mother, don't be afraid. Their target is only me, Su Que'er. It has nothing to do with you."
Upon hearing this, the woman's expression changed slightly: "Didn't I tell you not to come out no matter what happens? The Flower Queen Festival is in three days. Just focus on practicing your zither. You don't need to interfere in things here."
"Oh, what a touching mother-daughter bond! I never thought such affection could be found in a brothel..." The man beside them watched them for a while, then sneered, "If you really don't want anything to happen to us, Miss Que'er, you might as well come with us, so that Sister Mo doesn't suffer again."
"I'll go with you." Su Que'er glanced indifferently at the menacing crowd and sneered, "You're all just afraid I'll win this time. I'll do as you wish." She stood up and was about to walk towards the man when the woman hurriedly grabbed her: "Que'er, you can't go! If you go, their scheme will succeed!"
"You stinking woman, so noisy!" The man kicked the woman in the chest, sending her rolling backward several feet before she coughed up blood. Su Que'er's face paled at the sight, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Shen Sansi, don't push your luck. Since I've already agreed to your request, you shouldn't hurt me anymore."
The girls around her also had slightly swollen faces. They hurriedly helped the woman up, full of worry.
Shen Sansi spat to the side, his expression disdainful: "Su Que'er, do you still have room to bargain with us? It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you, don't be so shameless."
"Que'er, go on your own, don't worry about us! Cough cough..." The woman shouted, which caused her to cough up a few more mouthfuls of blood.
"Tch—you stinking mother." Shen Sansi gestured for his servants to grab Su Que'er tightly, walked up to the woman with a fierce look in his eyes, and looked like he was about to kick her again.
"Bang—!" A flowerpot inexplicably fell from upstairs and shattered into pieces right in front of Shen Sansi.
The surroundings suddenly fell silent.
Still shaken, Shen Sansi looked up and saw a bright-eyed girl standing at the top of the stairs, smiling slightly at her. In her hand, she was still holding a vase that she hadn't thrown yet.
Shen Sansi's face darkened, and he angrily said, "Where did this little brat come from? Doesn't she know whose territory Yangzhou is?"
Zhuang Su was taken aback by the question and couldn't help but ask, "Whose is it...?"
At this moment, Shen Sansi was so angry that he gritted his teeth: "This is the territory of the Shen family in the south of the city. Even the prefect of Yangzhou has to give my family some consideration here!"
"Oh, really?" Zhuang Su's tone lifted slightly, without the expected fear, instead she smiled faintly, "The Yangzhou prefect has to be wary of your Shen family, then—what about the One Leaf Alliance?" She slowly raised the hand that was not holding the flowerpot, and everyone's gaze fell on it, which was a bronze token.
Upon seeing this, Liu Su reached for her waist, only to find it empty. She didn't know when Zhuang Su had taken the token from him. Looking at her, he saw a pair of deep eyes hidden beneath her slightly smiling expression; only then did he realize she was truly angry.
Chapter Eleven: The Brothel's Heartless Reputation (Part Two)
Shen Sansi initially didn't see what Zhuang Su was holding. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but when he saw the words "One Leaf Alliance," his expression turned somewhat ugly: "You said you're a member of the One Leaf Alliance?"
Zhuang Su walked downstairs and glanced at him indifferently: "Don't you recognize the One Leaf Token? Anyone who has this token is at least not an ordinary person... Are you sure we can't afford to offend them?"
Shen Sansi hesitated, glancing at Su Que'er, seemingly unwilling to leave: "This is a matter within Yangzhou City, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Yi Ye Alliance, does it?"
“I’m going to take charge, so what?” Zhuang Su interrupted him coldly and “unreasonably”, throwing the Yi Ye Ling onto the table. “You’d better think carefully before you sell the face of the Yi Ye Alliance.”
The bronze hue was eerily piercing. Shen Sansi looked at the words "One Leaf Alliance," feeling uncertain and his arrogance weakened: "Release her." His men, who had previously feared the power of the One Leaf Alliance, readily released her upon receiving the order.
As soon as Su Que'er was free, she rushed to the woman and anxiously checked her injuries.
Shen Sansi snorted coldly and waved his hand: "Let's go!"
"Wait." He was about to leave with his men when Zhuang Su suddenly called out to stop him. Shen Sansi turned around, his brow furrowing. "Is there anything else?"
Zhuang Su's lips suddenly curled up, and she casually walked closer, looking at him with a smile: "You beat him up like this, of course—something's going on!" Before she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, then two "slap, slap" sounds were heard, and two red handprints appeared on Shen Sansi's face.
Zhuang Su grinned: "Don't forget the repair costs for this shop and their medical expenses." She secretly hid her hand, which was slightly sore from the slap, and coaxed her gently.
Shen Sansi, having been slapped, glanced at the onlookers who seemed to be trying to laugh, and his anger flared. However, the person in front of him appeared to have the One Leaf Alliance backing him, so his face darkened, and he had no choice but to swallow his anger. With a snort, he pulled out a few silver notes and threw them heavily on the ground, slamming the door shut as he left.
A loud bang was followed by silence.
Liu Su had been quietly watching Zhuang Su's "fooling around" without intervening. Just as she approached, about to say something, she saw Zhuang Su stumble and fall backward. She hurriedly went to support her. Only then did she notice that Zhuang Su's back was soaked with sweat. She couldn't help but laugh, somewhat exasperated, "Now you're scared? Weren't you so imposing just now?"
Zhuang Su pouted slightly when she heard him teasing her: "I just couldn't stand it..." Seeing that everyone around her was watching her, she could only force a smile and cough dryly: "Um... everyone, let's all go home."
Her expression amused everyone, and their awe of the One Leaf Alliance seemed to vanish in an instant.
After examining the woman's injuries and confirming that she was unharmed, Su Que'er walked over and knelt gratefully before Zhuang Su, saying, "Thank you for saving me, young lady."
Zhuang Su was startled by her bow and hurriedly helped her up, saying, "Miss Que'er, there's no need for such a grand gesture. I just couldn't stand it, and besides, I enjoyed that slap too."
Recalling the handprint on Shen Sansi's face, Su Que'er couldn't help but smile, but then her expression turned worried: "Forgive my bluntness, but Shen Sansi is a notorious tyrant in Yangzhou, and he is known for his ruthless ways. He wouldn't dare to do anything here since it's still under the jurisdiction of the Yiye Alliance, but I hope you will be careful in the future."
"It's alright." Zhuang Su wasn't afraid. She turned around and looked at the woman who was being helped up, and said worriedly, "Let's check everyone's injuries first."
The men helped the woman back into her room, and the onlookers gradually dispersed, leaving the shopkeeper helpless in the face of the mess. Fortunately, the stack of silver notes somewhat made up for the loss.
The woman took the medicine with the help of several women, which helped her catch her breath and stop coughing up blood. She was very grateful to Zhuang and Su: "I am Furong. If you two don't mind, you can call me 'Fu Ma'. We came from Luoyang to participate in the Flower Queen Festival. We were able to escape danger thanks to your help. We don't know how to thank you enough."
Seeing that she was unharmed, Zhuang Su breathed a sigh of relief and said with a light smile, "It was nothing. I'm glad everyone is alright."
Furong seemed to catch a glimpse of something extraordinary in her smile, and for a moment she was mesmerized. Su Que'er subtly nudged her to bring her back to her senses. Seeing Su Que'er's worried expression, Furong recalled her earlier actions, and her face darkened: "Que'er, do you know your mistake?"
Su Que'er was taken aback, then knelt on the ground, her voice firm and resolute: "Que'er does not think she has done anything wrong."
Furong felt grateful, but her face remained stern: "Disregarding the outcome of the Flower Queen Festival and almost being captured by Shen Sansi was a mistake! Don't you understand the significance of this competition?"
Su Que'er bit her lower lip lightly, her voice still clear: "Que'er only knows that I cannot let my sisters be in danger because of myself. Even if I could choose again, Que'er would still do the same. I don't think there's anything wrong with it!"
"You!" Furong was furious. She raised her hand suddenly, but paused in mid-air. She couldn't bring herself to slap him for a long time. She could only slap the bed in frustration, her expression somewhat sad. "Your musical skills have deteriorated a lot recently. How can this continue?"
Su Que'er's body trembled slightly, but she did not refute him again.
The atmosphere was oppressive. A hush fell over the room.
"Miss Que'er couldn't play to her heart's content because of her hand injury, right..." A few words floated down in the silence. Zhuang Su felt the gazes around him, scratched his chin, and chuckled awkwardly, "I happened to hear Miss Que'er playing in the room before, and I always felt that something was missing. Now it seems that's the reason."
“Que’er, you…” Fu Rong’s expression changed. She looked up at Su Que’er, only to see that she had covered her hands with her long sleeves and hidden them firmly behind her back. “Could it be that what this young lady said is true?” She grabbed Su Que’er’s hand and saw that there was a narrow cut between her fingers. Because the wound was so fine, it could only be noticed when looking closely.