Чистая вода и прекрасные горы

Глава 99

The man sitting on the platform in the distance, along with the crowd, gazed towards the osmanthus grove not far away. The woman gently moved the osmanthus blossoms from her head, her long dress fluttering slightly in the wind. She stepped out with a smile, still clutching the wine cup she had just emptied. Her face was infinitely tender, yet a hint of arrogance lingered in her bones. She smiled faintly, a slight hint of intoxication in her eyes. Her clear eyes never wavered, and though as gentle and luminous as water, they held a certain depth… All of this was deeply etched in his eyes. The woman looked at him, then suddenly smiled, a smile that held a touch of allure and a hint of disdain…

The corners of the man's mouth curled up slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"I've only ever seen this woman in paintings." Young Master Han, who had been sitting silently beside the man, sighed deeply at this moment, causing the man's brows to furrow slightly at this unintentional remark.

I stood on the stage, facing the wind. The chrysanthemum-colored gauze over my white silk dress fluttered in the wind. I finally understood Lu Xiu's good intentions. The chrysanthemum standing tall in the wind, with its petals falling with the wind, is the most beautiful thing.

“Rong Ruo—” Luo Ying smiled, a hint of weariness appearing on her face, “I thought you—didn’t care.”

“I don’t care about this reputation.” I shook my head and smiled faintly. “But like my sister—I care about someone.”

He was also heartless towards you—

"Maybe."

"Then he—"

"I hate him," I replied casually. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye; he remained calm and composed.

"But you—"

"That's right, go to a brothel and compete for the title of courtesan."

Is it only because I hate him? I smiled faintly in the wind. Luo Ying smiled wistfully and shook her head.

"I lost, I lost fair and square. You were willing to fall into prostitution for him, willing to be tainted by his defilement. Such love, such hatred, even fallen petals cannot compare." She murmured softly, smiled slightly at me, and slowly walked away, carrying her zither. The crowd was astonished. There hadn't been a contest; the two had only exchanged some incoherent words, yet a winner had been decided. They certainly didn't understand the reasoning behind it, but he… perhaps he did!

After the competition, everyone began to enjoy themselves.

As dusk falls and the city lights come on, the real fun truly begins... This is the decadent and extravagant life of the capital.

The chrysanthemum garden is magnificent and elegant under the night sky.

Thousands of lanterns hang high, and ten thousand streamers rise together.

At night, the chrysanthemums are no longer in bloom, only their fragrance wafts around, faint and subtle...

Inside the garden, all seventy-two tables were now occupied. At the same white jade table where they had sat during the day, people were sipping their drinks, one cup after another…

"Miss Rong, you have quite the leisure—"

I looked up, and the prey I had been waiting for had finally arrived. I knew from the way he looked at me during the day that this trip had not been in vain.

She smiled wearily and looked up at him: "Young Master Han—you share the same refined taste! The garden is bustling with activity, why have you come here to find some peace and quiet?"

He smiled slightly; his appearance was ordinary, with nothing particularly remarkable about him. I glanced at the sword he always carried; he was also a martial artist.

"I entered this grove in search of you, young lady. It's late now. May I ask if there are any osmanthus flowers to admire?"

"The osmanthus blossoms have faded, but their fragrance remains." I don't love osmanthus blossoms, but I love their faint, delicate fragrance.

"Young lady, you truly have refined tastes. I, Han, am but a shallow martial artist."

"Young master is too modest."

"The beauty of this young lady surpasses that of a thousand famous flowers. There is no need to admire flowers; simply gazing upon her radiant face in the twilight is enough."

I gently poured him a glass of wine: "Young master, please drink."

He gently took my hand and murmured, "Rong'er—"

I gently touched his lips with my finger: "My lord, silence speaks louder than words!"

He smiled, then pulled me into his arms and gently laid me down.

I looked behind him, and that calm figure slowly walked in...

She gently wrapped her hand around his neck and chuckled softly.

“I’ve been surrounded by countless women all my life, but I’ve never been moved by any of them. But today, you—” His lips slowly approached, “you have amazed me. I’m completely captivated by you.”

I stared intently at the unfathomable depths of his eyes behind him, but he remained calm and composed.

I slowly closed my eyes, and a woman's soft cough rang out... The man surnamed Han suddenly released me, sat up abruptly, and looked awkwardly at the calm figure beside him: "Brother, when did you arrive?"

I chuckled. This young master Han is truly too moved; he didn't even realize someone was approaching from behind... It seems his internal strength isn't that refined.

"I am coming

It seems the authorities need you to take charge.

Not wanting to disturb Brother Han's enjoyment, I was just about to leave when Yunniang unintentionally inconvenienced you.

I pulled Yunniang, who was behind Lu Li, over and smiled at her.

Han Yufeng waved his hand: "Brother, there's no need to blame yourself. It was my carelessness. I'll be right there." He stood up, turning back to give me a slight smile, "Rong'er, I'll be right back—"

I responded with a smile.

The three left together, and I returned to the white jade table. The cold wine went down my throat and tasted nothing!

Before long, a commotion came from the front yard. I looked in the direction of the noise and found everyone in the hall.

It was the two madams from Baohua Tower and Qingfeng Courtyard who took the opportunity to provoke Yunniang.

"In short, we lose to your Xiaoxiang Pavilion in terms of talent. However, the officials here seem to prefer our girls; your girls are all cold and aloof." The courtesan from Baohua Tower spoke in a grating voice. "Why don't we have the officials stand in front of their favorite girls and decide who is better by numbers?"

"This—" Yunniang couldn't help but frown at such absurd words.

The two women smiled contemptuously and exchanged glances.

“In that case, Miss Yun will relinquish her title as the number one brothel in the Central Plains—” Hua Niang said, smiling at the girls behind her.

Yunniang looked at Han Yufeng pleadingly, and the latter frowned slightly.

"Let's do it this way." Han Yufeng waved his hand impatiently, seemingly wanting to end this chaos as soon as possible. After all, he wouldn't care who came in first; he'd always have a large entourage of women. But now, he was actually leading the way in this ridiculous competition, tilting his head back and looking around, his gaze sweeping over each girl before settling on me. Seeing me standing in the crowd, he smiled, walked up to me first, and gently took my hand. Then, one by one, the men in the courtyard began to approach the girls they fancied… In the shadows, that handsome figure stood motionless, silent. I sighed inwardly, "Lu Li, Lu Li, even at times like this, you remain so stubborn."

My sleeve was suddenly tugged, and I saw Lu Xiu smiling at me. He blushed and said softly, "I only played this kind of boring game for you this time. I haven't even had a chance to congratulate you yet. You won really well during the day."

I smiled and glanced at the ashen-faced courtesan and the other brothel owners. They overestimated themselves and brought trouble upon themselves.

"Brother Lu—you should join in too, have some fun." Han Yufeng gently put one arm around my waist and beckoned to the shadows with the other.

The man paused, then slowly walked towards me. I stared at him intently, but his eyes didn't meet mine. The women around me, oblivious to my presence, cast envious glances my way. I lowered my eyes, concealing my coldness. I knew he was walking towards… not me…

Yunniang didn't participate; she just stood quietly not far behind me, holding her zither.

Lu Li brushed past me, and as I expected, he walked towards Yun Niang...

To my surprise, he took Yunniang's slender hand in his own, his voice soft and deep...

"In this world, Yunniang is the most beautiful."

He said that Yunniang was the most beautiful woman in the world... She actually said that Yunniang, who was dressed simply and had little beauty, was the most beautiful woman in the world.

I smiled. Han Yufeng didn't notice my change. He seemed very interested in what had just happened. Lu Xiu, on the other hand, gently squeezed my hand from the shadows.

"Hahahaha—Brother Lu is truly extraordinary." Han Yufeng laughed heartily.

Lu Li smiled faintly, "I'm sorry to make Brother Han laugh, but every woman in the garden is exceptional, and the one in Brother Han's arms is a beauty of unparalleled grace, captivating the soul. It's just a pity that I'm not so lucky—" He paused, looking at me as if to say, "I don't like stunning beauty, but rather prefer elegance!"

Yunniang looked at him, her eyes already filled with tears.

He doesn't like...exquisite beauty...he prefers...simple elegance...he disdains me...yet he's deeply in love with Yunniang...

“What a wonderful statement, ‘In this world, Yunniang is the most beautiful.’” I suddenly became interested, gently pushed Han Yufeng aside, and stepped forward. “It’s truly touching. Since you say so, sir, I feel that my position as the most beautiful courtesan is not secure. It seems that I should give it to Yunniang?”

“Yunniang won’t care about this meaningless title,” Lu Li said with a smile, gently squeezing Yunniang’s hand. Yunniang nodded kindly in agreement.

"Since you say so, sir, I have a request," I said, looking at him. "I wish to have a match with Yunniang; I will only consider the winner!"

He shook his head and smiled helplessly: "Miss Rong, why are you doing this to yourself..."

"I believe in doing things reasonably and in a way that pleases the public. Today, your words may lead to me being laughed at for winning the title of courtesan without even having a competition. I am also afraid that this will be unfair to Yunniang. Since I have won, I will win openly and honestly. If I lose, I will accept it wholeheartedly."

"Good, my Rong'er has such a great spirit, a woman who is just as capable as any man! Yunniang, you two have a more exciting and satisfying competition." Han Yufeng clapped his hands and cheered, then put his arm around my shoulder and smiled indulgently.

After three rounds, they had mastered the arts of music, chess, and painting.

The zither—Yunniang beat me by half a note.

Chess—I won by one piece against her.

Painting—I win because of Shen Yun.

The next match was... martial arts.

Lu Li stepped forward and said calmly, "Yun Niang is not a martial artist, so I am willing to take her place in this round."

I laughed. My opponent is him, so I will not hold back. I have never competed with him before, so today is a perfect opportunity.

Han Yufeng shook his head: "Brother, I'm afraid that's not fair—"

“Alright, let’s compete like this—” I raised my head and said firmly. Everyone was astonished; she was just a courtesan…

"Rong'er, I'll take your place—" Han Yufeng stepped forward when he saw that he couldn't stop me.

I smiled gratefully at him and shook my head. Even though he knew he was no match for Lu Li, he still stood up for me.

I nodded to Lu Li: "I apologize."

As soon as I finished speaking, I drew my soft sword from my waist and thrust it forward, but he dodged to the side. After several exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand. I flipped and leaped onto the roof beam, looking down at him; he remained calmly indifferent. I lunged down, my sword pointing directly at him. He also raised his sword to meet it, instinctively trying to block, but there wasn't enough time. Nangong had once said that my sword was always half an inch faster than my enemy's; even if we charged at each other simultaneously, the other person would fall to my blade first.

Yunniang cried out in alarm. Lu Li swayed at the sound, realizing he couldn't block my sword, and instinctively thrust his own blade towards me. Two beams of sword light flashed like streaks of light, so fast they didn't even have time to blink! The cold sword was already at his chest. I froze, realizing the point the sword was pointing at was the same wound as before! Another thrust would surely kill him, but the force of the sword was already unleashed, and there was no time to retract it. He remained expressionless; I just couldn't stand his nonchalant attitude.

He finally frowned, forcefully pulling away the energy concentrated in the sword. The soft sword immediately drooped. He couldn't possibly not understand: those who abandon their swords die...

Chapter Seventeen: He Is My Man

My sword fell to the ground instantly. He was stunned for a moment, but it was too late. His hand pierced straight into my clothes. He hurriedly pulled away the sword's force and forcibly withdrew his inner strength. Another sword fell, and I covered my exposed shoulder.

He breathed a sigh of relief, his brows furrowed as he stared at me.

I smiled and said, "It's nothing, just that my clothes are torn. Thank you for your mercy, sir. I've lost this round."

After saying that, he turned to leave, but bumped into the servant carrying the inkstone behind him, spilling ink all over me.

Lu Li stepped forward and stared intently at me: "Are you really alright?"

I pushed him away: "It's okay! I'm not hurt, it was just an accident."

"Shall we continue the competition?"

"certainly!"

With only the "book" part remaining, Yunniang unfolded the Korean tribute paper, picked up a pen, and smiled at Lu Li, saying, "I've never practiced writing, so you can do it for me this time."

Lu Li stared blankly for a moment, then nodded.