Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 34

Fu Jin's mouth was a little dry from talking, so he took a sip of wine and said, "If you don't want to talk, then don't. Let Brother Yu play a tune for us."

Everyone looked at Xiri, who put down his chopsticks and smiled, "I'd better obey." He then stood up, and Madam Ru considerately came over, beckoning a maid and saying, "Take Young Master Li to the Music Pavilion."

The maidservant, accompanied by Xilu, left the pavilion and walked along the covered walkway.

When I left the pavilion that day, I looked up and realized that the moon was already high in the sky.

All the lanterns around the covered walkway were lit. Looking back, one could see the gauze curtains hanging around the pavilion fluttering in the wind in the night, and several handsome young men and charming maids drinking among them. It all seemed like a dream.

The maid led her along the winding corridor to another pavilion overlooking the pond. Looking up, she saw that this was the Listening Music Pavilion, which was located directly opposite the octagonal pavilion, separated by a lotus pond.

Lanterns were lit around Tingyue Pavilion, illuminating the interior. Xi Ri sat calmly before her zither. Suddenly, she looked up and saw that everyone in the octagonal pavilion opposite her was staring in her direction. She composed herself, tested a few notes, and was about to begin playing when a sweet and bright voice suddenly rang out: "Young master, would you please play a piece called 'Parting Sorrow'?"

Xi Ri was startled and turned around to look. She saw a slender woman standing gracefully to her right and behind her. The woman's eyes were bright and her eyelashes were long. She was even more beautiful than the concubine. Her long hair fell to her shoulders, and she was barefoot. Bells hung from her jade wrists and ankles. She wore a blue gauze dress, which fluttered gently in the night breeze. At this moment, even Xi Ri couldn't help but stare in fascination.

Xi Ri suddenly asked softly, "Li Shang?"

The woman nodded slightly, seemingly a little shy in front of Xi Ri, but her shyness was just right and endearing.

Xi Ri turned around, sighed softly, and said sadly: She must be Madam Lan, such a beautiful woman...

No wonder Fu Jin was so eager to see her dance. Even before she began, her beauty was enough to keep one captivated for a lifetime. Ming Lu, Ming Lu, you have such a wonderful woman, why? Why…

"Parting Sorrow" is a tragic song about a woman who loves a man, but the man does not love her. The woman gives everything for the man, but he still ignores her. In the end, the woman gives her life for the man. As she dies, the woman asks the man if he has ever loved her. At that moment, the man realizes the love he has hidden in his heart for so long. He tells the woman that he loves her and that he has fallen in love with her. Although the woman smiles, she still leaves this world with regret because she thought the man was just comforting her as she was about to die. She never knew that the man had truly fallen in love with her.

This piece was the most popular at the time, deeply moving everyone with its sorrow and regret, because even after the woman in the song left, she remained sad. Hence the title: Parting Sorrow.

Thinking of the name Li Shang, a sudden surge of sorrow welled up in Xi Ri's heart.

The music flowed slowly, and sorrow seeped into every note from the depths of my heart…

At this moment, Madam Lan began to dance gracefully to the music. Her dance was indeed beautiful, so beautiful that it dazzled the eyes and made people almost unconsciously hold their breath.

The gentle melody of the zither flowed into everyone's heart. In Xi Ri's eyes, Lady Lan was as beautiful as a fairy, but in the eyes of others, the man playing the zither with a sorrowful expression was like a god under the moon, radiant as jade, handsome and otherworldly.

Even Su Yingying, the courtesan of Wanxi Flower who had just arrived, was slightly stunned when she saw this scene, and couldn't help but stare at the man on the other side of the pond in a daze.

Such a man, such an exceptionally handsome man, deeply touched the hearts of everyone present.

Su Yingying couldn't help but softly begin to sing a lament for parting. Her voice was elegant and sorrowful, melodious and lingering…

That night, everyone hoped that the song would never stop, never stop.

This night was the most unforgettable night of Minglu and his companions' lives.

That night, another person arrived. And he was about to bring about a cataclysmic upheaval.

After Xiri finished playing the zither, Madam Lan gracefully withdrew. Before leaving, she glanced at Xiri shyly a few more times, and whether intentionally or not, she left behind a gauze handkerchief.

Unfortunately, Xi Ri pretended not to see it and left Ting Le Ge as if nothing had happened. Before leaving, the wind seemed to deliberately blow the handkerchief, which landed right at her feet, but she stepped on it...

Several more people arrived at the octagonal pavilion. Xi Ri had already heard Su Yingying's singing, but she hadn't expected that Su Yingying wasn't alone; there were four other people. This Ming Lu not only frequented the Wan Hua Lou brothel, but he even hired prostitutes in his own household. Xi Ri felt annoyed. He had so many beautiful women around him, yet he was still unsatisfied. This man…

He glanced at Minglu and Su Yingying, who were talking softly to each other, and then looked at Ruyan behind Minglu, who had already left.

As Xi Ri stepped into the octagonal pavilion, a petite figure rushed towards her, grabbed her arm, and clung to her. A pair of bright, large eyes blinked rapidly, making Xi Ri's eyes widen involuntarily. The woman giggled, "Young master, come and have a drink..." Without further ado, she dragged Xi Ri to a chair, shoving aside Fu Jin who was sitting next to her. Fu Jin, who was flirting with the newly arrived women from the brothel, turned around and saw his chair pushed aside by the woman's seat. Unconcerned, he chuckled wickedly and suddenly touched the petite woman's bottom. The woman screamed and jumped up, while Fu Jin laughed heartily.

Xi Ri was surprised to see that the petite woman's eyes were almost spitting fire, and immediately coaxed, "What's your name?"

The petite woman's attention was diverted, and she looked at Xiri, saying sweetly, "My name is Honglu." She then clung to Xiri, who awkwardly tried to shake her off, but ultimately endured it.

Xi En said, "Brother Yu's zither playing is indeed unparalleled. His 'Parting Sorrow' melody has saddened all who hear it." Xi En came from a military background, but he was clearly sentimental because of this melody. The woman beside him frequently tried to befriend him, but it seemed that she could not extricate him from his sorrow. He drank one cup of wine after another, and a hint of melancholy appeared between his brows.

Nalan was also unusual, seemingly indifferent to the woman beside him. He glanced at Xiri with a strange emotion in his eyes and said, "Brother Yu, your zither music seems to have a kind of magic, making people's emotions follow the sadness and joy of the music."

Suddenly, Fu Jin raised his head from the woman's neck and said, "That's why I said, if Yu Di were a woman, how wonderful that would be. No matter what, I would definitely marry her, so that she could stay by my side for the rest of her life."

“Fu Jin,” Minglu said, “Brother Yu is a true man, don’t talk nonsense.”

The woman beside Fu Jin persisted, saying, "Master, isn't Cui'er good enough?"

Fu Jin immediately smiled and said, "Cui'er, good, good."

"Then give Cui'er a kiss. I am the one who truly loves Cui'er."

"Okay, okay..." Fu Jin kissed Cui'er's cheek with a smile.

Xi Ri smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything. Hong Lu diligently served her food and frequently put food in her mouth. She smiled and refused, but it didn't have much effect. Every time she refused one dish, Hong Lu would put another one on her plate.

After being refused so many times, Honglu, like Cui'er, asked coquettishly, "Young master, is Honglu not good enough?"

Looking at the red and green eyes, Xi Ri suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body and immediately replied perfunctorily, "Okay, okay." But in her heart she thought: What's so good about it? For some reason, she broke out in a cold sweat and felt a sense of horror.

"Then give me a kiss, and you'll know that I truly love Honglv." Upon hearing this, Xiri felt a chill run down her spine.

Just as she was about to refuse, she saw Minglu looking at her intentionally or unintentionally. Startled, she hurriedly kissed Honglu, thinking that it wasn't the first time anyway, so what was there to be afraid of!

Just then, Honglu turned around to say something to her, seemingly not expecting her to actually kiss her. And just like that, their lips met...

The moon was high in the sky, and everyone had drunk their fill. With soft, fragrant women in their arms, Xi Ri wanted to leave, but Ming Lu insisted on keeping him. Even the accommodations were arranged. Seeing the others each carrying a woman into their rooms, Xi Ri felt incredibly uneasy. He was dragged to his room by Hong Lü, who had an unusually strong grip. It seemed that it wasn't Xi Ri who was soliciting Hong Lü, but rather Hong Lü who wanted to solicit Xi Ri.

Xi Ri's mind was still preoccupied with that kiss. When that kiss landed, Xi Ri really wanted to throw herself into tears and cry, disregarding her image.

Why! Why! Heavens, she doesn't want to live anymore, she doesn't want to live...

She was so engrossed in her endless regret that she failed to notice the stunned expression on Honglu's face, which was unbecoming of a prostitute.

When the door slammed shut, Xi Ri was startled. Hong Lü approached step by step. Although she was petite, she had an inexplicable imposing aura. Xi Ri retreated step by step, protecting her body with her hands, feeling as if she was about to be violated.