White Robe - Chapter 38
I nodded with a smile and said softly, "You must come back soon..."
Shang Shao smiled, patted my shoulder, and walked out of the crowd.
"May I ask if this young lady is the White-Robed Minister of Jiangzhou?"
I had been waiting for Shang Shaochang for quite some time, but he still hadn't returned. Then I heard a sweet female voice softly asking behind me. I turned around and saw a maidservant in a light yellow dress bowing gracefully to me.
I quickly helped him up, and asked in surprise, "You...who are you?..."
The maid was only fifteen or sixteen years old, but her eyes were very bright. She said in a sweet voice, "Your Excellency does not recognize me, but I recognize you!"
"Oh?" My gaze instantly turned calm as still water as I looked into her eyes and slowly said, "How do you know that I am the White-Clad One from Jiangzhou?"
The maid in yellow glanced at me, but her face remained calm as she smiled and said, "Who in the world doesn't know that the white-robed minister, with his black robes and long hair, possesses an extraordinary bearing? As a woman, he is no less capable than any man! I work at Qiuye Pavilion, and it is my good fortune to have the opportunity to behold your beauty today."
My eyes narrowed, and I said coldly, "Are you from Qiuye Pavilion? Is Pavilion Master Ye here as well?"
The maid in the yellow dress smiled again and gave a simple curtsy: "It is indeed my master who invites you! Please, sir, have a seat."
The white curtains remained as white as snow, and Ye Zhi Qiu remained as mysterious as ever.
As soon as I stepped onto Ye Zhi Qiu's cruise ship, I suddenly had a strange feeling, as if I had returned to the beautiful and mysterious He Yue Mountain Villa.
Ye Zhi Qiu is a hundred times more mysterious than that quiet mountain villa.
He himself is a mystery, an enigma.
Ye Zhi Qiu sat behind a white curtain, and through the curtain, one could vaguely see that he was sipping fragrant tea.
He always seemed to belong behind the white curtains, even his clothes were snow-white, almost blending into the snow-white curtains.
Only the location and background have changed; his pairing with Bai Wei seems to never change.
I bowed slightly: "Sect Leader Ye, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Behind the white curtain, Ye Zhi Qiu's calm voice rang out: "...It has been almost half a year since we parted in Jiangzhou. It seems that the Prime Minister's face has been weathered by time."
I straightened up and smiled, "Sect Leader Ye has a good eye, not bad! I've suffered quite a bit of hardship these past few days, but I've found joy even in the midst of it!"
Ye Zhi Qiu seemed to nod slightly and said, "Your Excellency has worked hard for Guiyun Manor, which is no easy feat... It is said that Guiyun Manor was attacked by assassins before the New Year. Is this true?"
My eyes narrowed, my gaze turning cold, and I countered, "May I ask from whom Pavilion Master Ye heard this?"
Inside the white curtains, Ye Zhi Qiu discreetly picked up a teacup, took a sip, and slowly savored it. After a while, he slowly said, "Whether it's rumors or facts... Qiu Ye Pavilion would never do anything to kick someone when they're down, so you can rest assured, Your Excellency—" At this moment, the yellow-clad maidservant had already served fragrant tea. Ye Zhi Qiu said, "It was presumptuous of me to invite Your Excellency here today, but since we have met here, it is fate. The Spring Festival performance will begin soon, so I humbly request that Your Excellency stay here for a while and enjoy the songs and dances together, how about it?"
I quickly shook my head and said, "This... Pavilion Master Ye, a friend of mine is still waiting for me by the river—"
Ye Zhi Qiu gently shook his head and said with a smile, "Your friend, Prime Minister, is this Young Master Shang?" Before I could speak, Ye Zhi Qiu said softly, "Your Excellency can rest assured this time. After listening to the Spring Festival, I will send someone to invite Young Master Shang to pick you up." He then smiled slightly, "With Young Master Shang accompanying you, White-Clad Minister, who would dare to challenge the sharpness of Qiu Shui's blade?"
I smiled softly and didn't answer, but my hand holding the teacup trembled involuntarily.
Is there anything that this shrewd and mysterious Pavilion Master Ye doesn't know?
The beaded curtain outside the cabin was gently rolled up, and a young maid in a purple robe entered and curtsied: "I have learned that the Spring Festival music will begin at 3:45 AM. Please invite the master and the minister to move to the Spring Oriole Boat to enjoy the music."
Ye Zhi Qiu said calmly, "No need. Just sail our boat to the Spring Oriole Boat." Then, changing the subject, he said to me, "The Spring Festival's melodious songs can only be heard once a year. Now that you are here, I wonder if you would be so kind as to accompany me to enjoy them?"
I smiled gently and said, "Sect Master Ye is too kind. Although I am just a woman, I really don't understand the rules of rhyme. I am just doing what I like and watching the fun. If we are talking about elegance and talent, I am far inferior to Sect Master Ye."
Ye Zhi Qiu laughed, "You flatter me, Prime Minister. Everyone knows your discerning eye; you are exceptionally good at recognizing people. I wonder which pleasure boat will win your favor and take the lead this time?" With that, he clapped his hands lightly, and a maid in a yellow robe stepped forward and lifted the beaded curtain in front of them. After just a few words, Ye Zhi Qiu's boat had already sailed to the opposite side of the largest pleasure boat, which was the best spot to watch the Spring Festival music. The area around that pleasure boat was already crowded with many large and small pleasure boats, as well as local officials, gentry, and famous merchants who had come to watch. Not to mention that every boat was freshly painted and decorated beautifully, the famous courtesans and singers selected from each brothel were all radiant with their beautiful eyes and dazzling appearance. Their clothes were made of silk or brocade, satin or brocade. In an instant, the Qinhuai River was filled with the fragrance of clothes and the shadows of hair, bright and captivating. Occasionally, a few words of sweet singing and a few glances conveyed affection. Some men on the river with slightly weaker self-control were almost thrown off balance, and their mouths were watering.
I sat upright on Ye Zhiqiu's boat, yet I couldn't help but marvel at the captivating charm of the Qinhuai courtesans. Their delicate allure seemed to emanate from their very bones. Although I am a woman myself, I've always been serious and reserved, and my profession has left me utterly devoid of any gentleness. I couldn't help but glance a few more times at the beautiful women on the boat. A maidservant served me fragrant tea, and just as I picked it up to drink, a merchant in his forties from the opposite boat, speaking in Suzhou dialect, suddenly exclaimed loudly, "Eh, what brings Pavilion Master Ye to the Qinhuai courtesan scene today?"
Ye Zhi Qiu said calmly from inside the white curtains, "Oh, no problem, no problem."
The merchant glanced at me, his face filled with anxiety: "Everyone says that Master Ye is incredibly refined, and sure enough, today, during the Spring Festival, Qiuye Pavilion has also joined in the fun, inviting this black-clad courtesan to try her singing. However, this courtesan looks rather ordinary; how could Master Ye have misjudged her—wah—" Just as the merchant was getting into the swing of things, suddenly "Oops!" he fell headfirst into the river with a "plop."
The onlookers stared in disbelief, wondering how he had fallen in. They exchanged bewildered glances for a long while before someone shouted, "Quick, save him!" They scrambled to pull him ashore. His clothes were soaking wet. The merchant, unable to speak after falling into the water, opened his mouth, spitting out a few teeth and blood onto the boat. The surrounding crowd exclaimed in shock, "A ghost! We've seen a ghost in broad daylight!"
From the moment that merchant uttered those outrageous words to the moment he fell into the water and vomited blood, my eyes remained cold and my face ashen.
Trouble arises from too much talking; where in this world are there ghosts?
However, I've already vented half my anger at how this talkative businessman ended up like this. He actually called me a courtesan from the Qinhuai River; he deserved this fate. I turned back and smiled lightly at Afu, who had just brought in the fruit, saying, "Thank you."
Afu tucked his hands into his sleeves and said softly, "This is what a lowly person should do."
Amidst the chaos on the river, three chimes resounded, echoing across the water. A beautiful female voice proclaimed, "The Spring Festival celebrations are held annually, and it is an honor for us sisters to have the presence of esteemed gentlemen and ladies to add to the festivities..."
Ye Zhi Qiu watched as A Fu smashed the merchant's teeth with a small apricot, causing him to fall into the water, but remained silent, as if he hadn't seen anything. He said leisurely, "This year's Spring Festival has ten of the largest flower boats vying for attention. I wonder which one you, sir, favor?"
I shook my head and smiled wryly, "Sect Master Ye, you've truly asked a blind man for advice. I know nothing of romance, so how could I possibly know who came first and who came last?" My gaze swept across the river, taking in a sea of beautiful women, each more stunning than the last. But on one of the pleasure boats, a beautiful woman in a pale yellow crepe dress, her hair piled high in a bun, sat quietly, holding a pipa. She possessed an air of refined elegance, a stark contrast to the gaudiness of other women. I let out a soft "Eh," and couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. The pleasure boat bore the inscription: "Jiangnan Biyun Tower."
Ye Zhi Qiu said, "Good eye! The singing girls of Biyun Tower are famous throughout Qinhuai, and they have always been the best singers in the Spring Festival... Last year, the one who won the Spring Festival for them was Youhua."
"Oh?" I glanced at her a few more times and said, "This singer seems to be slightly inferior to Youhua."
Ye Zhi Qiu slowly said, "You Hua is a rare talent in Qinhuai. She is proficient in singing, dancing, playing the zither, and playing the qin. Her singing voice is especially captivating. However, this courtesan is named Rou Nu. Although she is slightly inferior to You Hua, she is still a rare talent."
I nodded slightly, my gaze passing over Rou Nu and continuing its sweep across the river. I saw some small boats and barges on the water, likely smaller establishments of the Qinhuai River, and followed suit. However, the smaller brothels, knowing their place, only stopped at the more famous ones, avoiding the smaller ones, fearing their singing might be lacking and make them a laughingstock. But ahead stood a small, simply decorated barge, standing out starkly among the ornately decorated ones. A female singer in a pale white dress sat on the boat, holding a worn-out pipa. Her long hair was casually tied in an old-fashioned bun, and her features were indistinct.
For some reason, when I first looked at her, I gradually felt a sense of unease that made me unable to look away.
She exuded a faint, serene aura that almost swept away the strong fragrance of the Qinhuai River!
It was morning, but the woman's appearance suddenly reminded me of the moon.
The bright, pale crescent moon in the sky.