Chapter 75
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Chapter 75:
Thinking back to the conversation they had last night, Qi Leyuan looked at Li Chunzhou skeptically and asked, "Is he complaining to you?"
Li Chunzhou, realizing belatedly, looked up and said, "Complaining to me for what? There’s no benefit to it."
Qi Leyuan hesitated for a moment and finally said, "Lady Chun, there are two kinds of men in the world. One kind uses their pain to seek sympathy from women, always talking about it and showing it off to anyone they meet. The other kind only reveals their vulnerabilities to important people… Which type do you think the Second Prince is?"
"Are you saying… He has developed genuine feelings for me?" Li Chunzhou asked, looking incredulous.
The two of them fell silent for a moment, then Li Chunzhou lowered her eyes, half-smiling, and said softly, "Well, then he’s in big trouble."
***
Most of the Xiangru Court’s troupe had dispersed, but fortunately, their main performers were still around. The steward of the mansion managed to successfully invite back most of the Xiangru Court despite many of them being replaced.
Just setting up the stage took up a lot of time, and by the time the troupe officially performed in the afternoon, the day was already well underway.
The stage was set up in the mansion’s garden. Second Prince had never been interested in such matters, and with no women in the mansion, the staff had never really had the opportunity to watch performances before. Li Chunzhou instructed the steward to inform all the household staff and told them they could bring their own stools to watch the show after finishing their work.
Everyone in the mansion knew that Li Chunzhou was favored by the Second Prince. When they saw her taking responsibility, some young maids and servants hesitantly peeked into the garden and only stepped in after seeing the stage set up.
At first, there were just a few people, but gradually it increased to about a hundred. With more people around, Xu Yanqu, a pillar of Xiangru Court, sang for almost half a day. Only then did the royal spies and stewards relax.
After nightfall, lanterns were lit around the garden, casting a dim light. The noisy crowd gathered in front of the stage to watch the exciting performance. The seats were filled with spectators, their chatter and applause echoing throughout the garden.
As Xu Yanqu finally left the stage, Li Chunzhou hurried backstage, anxiously scanning the crowd, hoping to find Xu Yanqu among the unfamiliar faces.
On stage, a lively tune was sung, "In a humble room, once filled with scholarly books; now overgrown with weeds, it used to be a place for music and dance…"
Backstage was bustling with actors changing costumes and applying makeup, rushing to get ready for their performance.
Meanwhile, in a corner on the other side of the backstage, stood a tall figure dressed in green robes, quietly observing.
Despite the crowd, Li Chunzhou spotted Xu Yanqu from a distance. He wore a blue silk costume, his makeup delicate yet dignified. The ornate headdress made him look like a lively young lady, though with a slightly tired face. He gazed at Li Chunzhou outside the crowd, lips slightly parted, eyes shimmering with sadness and longing for their reunion.
"…Spider webs adorn the carved beams, green silk now hangs on the bamboo windows. Amidst the thick makeup and fragrance, why do frosty hairs appear on the temples again?"
When the two people saw each other in the busy crowd, a strong emotion rushed into their hearts at the same time. It felt like time stood still in that moment, the noisy sounds around slowly faded away, leaving only their silent gaze towards each other.
Without saying a word, Li Chunzhou knew he had definitely seen her.
After not seeing each other for many days, Xu Yanqu looked slimmer, but his eyes were still clear and bright. He exuded a calm and profound aura, different from the hustle and bustle. When he smiled, the mole under his eye moved slightly too.
Beneath Xu Yanqu’s gently swaying robe, there was a sense of dignity and solemnity. He gazed at her for a long time, as if in this moment of reunion after a long separation, Li Chunzhou once again became the center of his whole world.
"Yesterday yellow earth sent white bones, tonight red lanterns hang low for mandarin ducks."
Li Chunzhou suddenly disregarded the crowd and walked straight towards Xu Yanqu. But when she finally made her way through the people and stood in front of Xu Yanqu, she couldn’t say a word.
Xu Yanqu’s gaze remained warm and firm. Trying to make her smile, he slightly bent his knees and performed a ladylike curtsey to Li Chunzhou, softly saying, "Greetings to the noble lady."
Only then did Li Chunzhou smile, showing the first smile since they met.
But there was no time for them to catch up. The Second Prince might return at any moment, so Li Chunzhou didn’t have much time alone with Xu Yanqu. She held his increasingly slim hand and asked, "Brother Yan, how is it outside?"
"Don’t worry, Spring Flowers Tower is safe," Xu Yanqu said softly as he helped Li Chunzhou tuck her stray hair behind her ear, "I have been trying to find a way to meet you these days…"
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "But all my attempts failed, and it’s only by your blessing that I finally get to see you."
Xu Yanqu spent all the money he had saved in his early life in these few days, but he didn’t mention the upsetting events to Li Chunzhou. Instead, he shared only interesting stories with her.
Xu Yanqu didn’t care about the money he spent, as long as he could see Li Chunzhou, he had no regrets.
Suddenly, Xu Yanqu remembered something and said to Li Chunzhou, "By the way, Lady Chun, I heard that the Turkic people have reached outside Shengjing City, General Mi has passed away, the court is in chaos, the front line is in urgent need of supplies, and the remaining two hundred thousand troops in Daliang are unable to regroup and are retreating. If the situation worsens, they might have to move south."
Li Chunzhou’s eyes widened in shock at the news of General Mi’s death, wondering about Mi Hongbao…
Xu Yanqu took out a flyer from his sleeve and handed it to Li Chunzhou, "These days, Mama Li has been distributing flyers in and around Pingkang Alley, urging the young women from major brothels to persuade the wealthy to contribute money and resources to gather supplies."
The severe financial problems in Daliang are mainly caused by the accumulation of immense wealth by the upper-class officials, who have significant control over the country’s resources. However, they tend to keep their wealth for themselves and are unwilling to contribute to the country.
Moreover, the monopoly of wealth by influential families intensifies the wealth gap and hardship among the people, leading to social unrest and discontent. If the current ruler lacks the decisiveness to tackle these issues, the situation in Daliang will continue to worsen.
Li Chunzhou opened the thin flyer and saw the neatly written words with a delicate pen:
As a member of the Flower Society, even though my occupation is humble, my love for the country is unwavering. I hope my fellow countrymen will stick to our principles, fulfill our duties, and never give up in times of national crisis. I swear to persevering until the end.
– Crying plea from the Brothel Salvation Society.
Li Chunzhou’s eyes teared up as she touched the words on the paper, she didn’t know who wrote those words but felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Any voice that has been suppressed for a long time will not stay silent. Even a prostitute who sells her smiles will, at certain moments, shout out loud in a silent yet powerful way to express her existence.
"No, no! You must leave immediately! Can’t die here." Li Chunzhou suddenly gripped Xu Yanqu’s clothes and said to him, then murmured absentmindedly, "There’s no need to save Daliang… can’t bring him back… not worth saving…"
Xu Yanqu furrowed his brows slightly in worry, gently patting Li Chunzhou’s shoulder to calm her nerves, softly asked, "Not worth saving… what do you mean?"
Li Chunzhou looked at him, unsure where to start explaining. She thought, what could she say? Could she say that none of this was real? Could she say that once she killed Jian Hou and set everything right, they wouldn’t remember any of this?
Even for Gu Lingfan and Chihong, Li Chunzhou couldn’t just watch as the chaos of this cycle became an irreparable reality.
However, she couldn’t explain everything at that moment.
Without half a word of explanation, Li Chunzhou quickly said to Xu Yanqu, "Under the central brick under my bed in the room, there is a box of gold and silver jewelry hidden. Can you dig it out, Brother Yan? I’ve never asked you for anything in my life… Can you please take Mama Li and the remaining people at Spring Flowers Tower and leave?"
For a prostitute like a driftweed, jewelry made of gold and silver is always the most convenient property.
Tears flashed in Li Chunzhou’s eyes. "Most of the girls who are staying at Spring Flowers Tower now had their feet bound when they were young. They can’t escape alone, they need someone to help them on the way… Brother Yan, I can’t bear anyone else dying now."
Xu Yanqu remained silent, not agreeing to let go. He looked at Li Chunzhou’s distressed expression and said, "But… How can I bear to leave you alone…"
"If you can’t bear to leave me, then we will die together!"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Xu Yanqu shed tears sorrowfully and said softly, "But I am willing. I am willing to die with you."
Li Chunzhou gazed at him intently, shook her head, and said, "No, if you truly care about me, you must live on, take care of the important people for me. Whether I am there or not, you must live on properly."
Xu Yanqu didn’t say a word, tears falling cluster by cluster, smudging the makeup on his face. Li Chunzhou hugged his waist tightly, pressed her cheek against Xu Yanqu’s chest, and slowly and solemnly said, "Brother Yan, besides you, I have no one else to entrust these matters to… Chihong is gone, and my sister has left me. I only have you left now. Brother Yan, please…"
Xu Yanqu gently lifted Li Chunzhou’s face and wiped away her tears. He softly said, "Okay, Lady Chun, I promise you that Mama Li and Spring Flowers Tower will be safe as long as I am alive… Please don’t be sad, I will always stand by your side, no matter what, and face any difficulties together with you."
Li Chunzhou felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off her chest. She suddenly noticed that the voices around her had quieted down, even the sounds on the stage had stopped.
When Li Chunzhou looked up, she saw Second Prince standing not far away, staring at them with intense eyes like a statue made of ice.
Second Prince seemed so angry that he didn’t even bother making a gesture, standing there coldly until Li Chunzhou approached him.
Although Xu Yanqu noticed Second Prince’s presence a bit later than Li Chunzhou, he didn’t move away from her, as if he didn’t care whether Second Prince would harm him out of anger.
After letting go of Xu Yanqu’s hand, Li Chunzhou didn’t immediately run towards Second Prince. Instead, she looked at Xu Yanqu and said, "Brother Yan, do you remember when you sang ‘Farewell My Concubine’ to me before?"
Xu Yanqu chuckled and gently replied, "Of course I remember."
When Li Chunzhou was younger, she had a fight with Xu Yanqu. At the end of the argument, she angrily swore never to speak to Xu Yanqu again during the day, but cried secretly under her blanket at night. Xu Yanqu climbed over the wall every night to leave her two handkerchiefs.
Li Chunzhou threw the handkerchiefs back, and Xu Yanqu sang a comforting song under her window, singing the scene from ‘Farewell My Concubine’ which he was most skilled at.
Remembering the past, both of them smiled. Xu Yanqu softly sang, "I advise the king to drink and listen to the songs of Yu, to dispel his worries and dance gracefully. The unjust Qin Dynasty ruined the country, heroes arose from all directions, as the saying goes, success or failure can change in an instant. Relax and drink in the precious tent…"
They had known each other since they were very young. They were familiar with each other’s personalities, but never crossed the boundary of friendship. They always seemed like the two kids chatting across a wall from years ago.
"Brother Yan, in my heart, you have never been a false beauty to me," Li Chunzhou’s eyes suddenly filled with affection, she softly said, "… but a true hero."
Xu Yanqu looked at her in a daze. After saying these words, Li Chunzhou took a step back and ran towards Second Prince.
Watching her butterfly-like figure fly away gracefully, Xu Yanqu still held the little wooden carving that Li Chunzhou gave him. A big tear fell on his collar, leaving a dark stain.