The Bond of Servitude

Because Li Miaozhen and Lina returned, Auntie had the kitchen kill a goose and prepare a sumptuous and delicious meal.

The room was brightly lit by candlelight, and several bowls of ice were placed in the four corners of the inner hall to help cool the body. The dessert before the meal was a bowl of chilled sweet rice wine for each person, which was sweet, refreshing and delicious.

Little Douding also held a bowl and gulped it down. Ever since he started practicing the Body Tempering Method of the Power Gu Clan with Lina, his appetite had increased significantly, and his digestive system was incredibly strong.

Let alone sweet fermented rice, she could drink several large bowls of strong liquor. Of course, she wouldn't drink adult beverages that would make the little one doubt her fertility.

During the meal, the topic of Jianzhou inevitably came up.

Second Uncle Xu used his extensive "knowledge" and experience to tell the younger generation about the historical background of Jianzhou. Despite Jianzhou being the most stable, the imperial court actually had very little control over it.

There are a lot of people from all walks of life there, and the current leader of the alliance, Cao Qingyang, is something you juniors cannot deal with.

After listening for a while, the aunt finally found an opportunity to interject, saying, "Master, Ningyan's sword is a peerless divine weapon. I heard Erlang say it's priceless."

Second Uncle Xu nodded as he sipped his sweet rice wine. "A peerless weapon is certainly priceless. Pfft!"

He spat a mouthful of fermented rice onto the little boy's face beside him, and glared at him, saying:

"You're just a woman, do you even know what a peerless divine weapon is? Ningyan's blade is incomparably sharp, but it's not a peerless divine weapon. Don't just use any term you hear randomly."

The little girl stretched out her chubby little hand, wiped the sweet rice wine off her face, and couldn't resist licking her palm, then licking it again. She licked it silently.

The aunt, Qi Ingestion, widened her beautiful eyes and said angrily, "That's what Erlang said. It can even fly! If you don't believe me, Master, ask Dalang."

Second Uncle Xu immediately looked at Xu Qi'an and stared at him intently.

Xu Qi'an snapped his fingers and summoned, "Peace!"

With a whoosh, the Taiping Blade flew into the hall, circling above everyone's heads.

Second Uncle Xu stood with his head held high, staring blankly at the Taiping Knife, like a stone statue that wouldn't move.

"Truly, it really is an unparalleled divine weapon." After a long while, the second uncle murmured with a sigh.

"I already said it's priceless; it will become our Xu Household's heirloom," Auntie said happily.

"Yes, yes, it's a family heirloom, this is the family heirloom!" Uncle was so excited he could barely hold the bowl.

Li Miaozhen lowered her head, held her bowl, ate her food in small bites, and listened to the family's incessant chatter.

She envied Xu Qi'an somewhat, even though he had lost both his parents at a young age and always joked that he was living under someone else's roof and that his aunt treated him badly.

Having lived in the Xu Residence for so long, Li Miaozhen understood very well that this mistress of the house had a mindset that was too girlish, thus lacking the qualities of a loving mother. But in reality, she was quite good to Xu Ningyan.

She's just a bit too strong-willed. Xu Ningyan doesn't respect her, which makes her very angry. She never speaks well of him, calling him a "bastard" and a "rascal" all the time.

In fact, I always remember my nephew's share of everything – food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other necessities.

Second Uncle Xu is a carefree person, and he gets a headache whenever he hears his wife and nephew arguing, so he likes to play dumb. But Li Miaozhen can tell that he is actually the one who treats Xu Ningyan the best in the family.

Xu Erlang's personality was similar to his mother's; they said one thing and meant another. On the one hand, they despised their elder brother and father as crude and uncouth men, but on the other hand, they harbored deep affection for them.

Xu Lingyue felt that Xu Lingyue's admiration for Xu Ningyan was excessive. She thought that things would probably be better after she got married, and she would focus her attention on her husband.

As for Xu Lingyin, she was also very dependent on Xu Qi'an. She licked the water chestnut cake with tears in her eyes in the afternoon, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and made up her mind to leave it for her older brother.

Well, we can't tell Xu Ningyan about this.

"Li Miaozhen, Li Miaozhen, these are all karmic obstacles. If you want to live as long as heaven and prosper forever, you must break free from the love, hatred, and grudges of this world. You must learn to be indifferent. Yes, deep affection is short-lived." She silently admonished herself in her heart.

A few seconds later, she thought again, "That bastard Xu Ningyan hasn't shared the treasures he looted from Cao Guogong's private residence with me yet. I'm going to open a soup kitchen to help the poor."

The aunt drank half a bowl of sweet fermented rice wine, but found it a bit too cloying, so she didn't want to drink anymore. She said, "Master, you drink it for me, don't waste it."

Second Uncle Xu was intently examining the Taiping Knife when he heard this. Without thinking, he pushed his aunt's half-bowl of sweet rice wine to Xu Lingyin.

Xu Lingyue wiped her lips and looked at Xu Qi'an expectantly. "Big brother, I can't drink anymore either."

"Big brother will help you," Xu Qi'an took the bowl and placed it in front of the little boy, "I'll give this to Lingyin for you."

The little one was overjoyed.

Lina looked at her apprentice with an envious expression.

Early in the morning, before the sun had risen, the sky was already bright. In the Imperial Academy of Music, the maid Xiaomei was once again awakened by Fuxiang's cough.

She rubbed her eyes, got out of bed, poured a glass of water from the table, and walked lightly to the bedside, saying softly, "My lady, have some water."

Fuxiang, her face as pale as paper, sat up with her help, took a sip of water, and said weakly, "Mei'er, I'm a little hungry."

"My lady, you rest first. I'll go to the kitchen and get you a bowl of porridge."

Mei put on her coat, left the master bedroom, and went to the kitchen. She found the pot empty; no one had gotten up early to cook.

The Shadow Plum Pavilion has six singing girls, eight maids to accompany guests, seven maids to do odd jobs, four attendants to guard the courtyard, and one gatekeeper.

The courtesan Fuxiang fell ill and never recovered. Her attendants, singers, and maids who served her wine were sent to another residence, and only one maid was left to do odd jobs.

The maidservant had been shirking her duties and being lazy lately, constantly complaining and resentful of her situation. When she went to the other courtyard, she would occasionally be rewarded with a few coins.

Staying in Yingmei Pavilion with a sickly man won't bring you any benefits.

Mei stormed into the maid's room, where the maid was lying on the bed, enjoying a comfortable nap.

"Get up! Get up now!"

Mei'er, her face cold, pulled her off the bed and loudly questioned, "When Madam was in power, she treated you all with utmost kindness and generosity. When was it that her rewards weren't more generous than those of the other courtyards?"

"She's sick right now, she can't even get a bowl of hot porridge, have you lost all your conscience?"

The maidservant, hands on her hips, retorted, "I told you, that was in the past. Back then, Madam was powerful and glamorous, and we were willing to serve her like slaves. But now she's about to die, why should I still serve her?"

Mei'er was furious, "My wife is just sick, she'll get better. Once she's better, we'll see how she deals with you."

The maidservant retorted, "Come on, everyone in the Imperial Academy of Music knows she's dying. If there were even the slightest possibility, Madam wouldn't have transferred everyone away."

At this point, she sneered, "Sister Mei'er, you serve your mistress tirelessly, isn't it all for her savings? Don't get angry, what kind of loyalty is there in the Imperial Academy of Music? Aren't the sisters just putting on an act every day?"

"Because everyone knows that men only want our bodies. If you really think you have genuine feelings for those clients, you're a fool. Fuxiang Niangzi is one such fool."

"Back then, Xu Yinluo would stay in the pavilion night after night without spending a single copper coin. For him, his wife even stopped entertaining other guests. She even paid out of her own pocket to the Imperial Academy of Music. When others praised her, she actually believed that she and Xu Yinluo were truly in love. You can't help but laugh at that."

"Now that she's sick and dying, has that person come to see her?"

These words struck a nerve with Mei'er, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "You bitch, I'll tear your mouth off!"

The two started fighting.

"Stop!"

Outside the door, Fuxiang, dressed in a thin white robe, looked so weak she could barely stand. She leaned against the door, her face pale.

The fighting stopped. The maidservant lowered her head and remained silent. Although the woman was sickly and seemed like she could be blown away by a gust of wind, she had once been so glamorous that she had left an indelible and profound impression on the woman.

"Go back."

She had barely uttered two words when Fuxiang swayed and collapsed to the ground.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of sandalwood. In the master bedroom, Fuxiang awoke to a gentle fragrance and saw an elderly doctor sitting by the bedside. He seemed to have just finished taking her pulse and said to Mei'er:

"Your vital energy is weak, your five internal organs are failing, medicine is useless now. Prepare for the worst."

Mei lowered her head and sobbed softly.

The news that Fuxiang, the most famous courtesan in the capital, was nearing the end spread quickly throughout the Imperial Academy of Music).

Some were secretly pleased, while others sighed with regret.

After lunch, at the Seichi-in Temple.

In the reception room, which was covered with brocade carpet, courtesans dressed in flowing gowns sat at a table drinking afternoon tea.

Fruits, chilled plum wine, and other snacks were laid out on the table.

The exquisitely made-up courtesan Mingyan glanced at the other courtesans present. Including herself, there were a total of nine courtesans, all of whom had slept with Xu Yinluo.

"Back then, she was so glamorous. Xu Yinluo's poem about plum blossoms made her the most famous courtesan in the capital. Gentlemen from outside the city would spend a fortune just to see her, and talented scholars from afar would travel thousands of miles to the capital. But her fame lasted only half a year, and now she's just as ashes."

Wearing an indigo silk skirt and a jade hairpin, the elegant courtesan Xiaoya sighed.

Xiaoya, the most beautiful courtesan, was well-read and highly sought after by scholars.

"Beauty is often short-lived," this perfectly describes Fuxiang; it's truly a lamentable fate.

The speaker was a beautiful woman with an oval face, dressed in a yellow dress. Her nickname was Dongxue (Winter Snow), and her voice was as melodious as a nightingale's. Her singing was the best in the Imperial Academy of Music.

"I used to be jealous of her being the only one favored by Xu Yinluo, but now seeing her in this situation, I feel so bad that I can't eat," another beauty sighed.

"Speaking of which, Xu Yinluo hasn't contacted her in a long time, has he?"

"I remember that after Xu Yinluo went to Chuzhou in March, he never came to the Imperial Academy of Music again, nor did he go to Yingmei Pavilion."

"Upon careful calculation, the period when Xu Yinluo returned to the capital from Chuzhou coincided with Fuxiang's illness."

The courtesans sighed. Fuxiang was bedridden and hadn't recovered in a long time, so Xu Yinluo naturally wouldn't come.

Men come to them for pleasure; otherwise, they wouldn't be there to serve them at their sickbeds. Xu Yinluo is just an ordinary man.

Mingyan, the courtesan, sighed softly, "Sister Fuxiang is deeply in love with Xu Yinluo."

She turned to the maid beside her and instructed, "Send someone to the Xu Residence to inform them. The Xu Residence is not far from the Imperial Academy of Music). Go and return quickly."

The maidservant went out with small, quick steps.

Ming Yan glanced at the assembled beauties and said softly, "Let's go see Sister Fuxiang."

"We were master and servant for a time. After I leave, take the silver notes in the cabinet, use them to redeem yourself, and then find a good family to marry into. The Imperial Academy of Music is ultimately not a woman's final destination."

"Remember to give Xu Yinluo what I left behind, don't forget."

Fuxiang leaned against the bed, giving instructions for her final affairs.

Mei sat on the round stool, nodding as she sobbed.

Light, yet slightly chaotic footsteps came from outside the door. Mingyan, Xiaoya, and the other courtesans slowly entered the room, smiling sweetly, "Sister Fuxiang, your sisters have come to see you."

Fuxiang forced a smile onto her paper-pale face, her voice hoarse. "Please, have a seat."

The courtesans took their seats and chatted calmly for a few moments. Suddenly, Mingyan covered her mouth and sobbed, "We already know about my sister's health condition."

Fuxiang smiled nonchalantly, "For me, it's just the end of one chapter in my life. I left here a long, long time ago."

Upon hearing this, the courtesans felt a deep sense of empathy, and a somber atmosphere filled the room.

Mingyan said softly, "Sister, please don't be offended. I took it upon myself to send someone to inform Xu Yinluo."

Fuxiang frowned, her tone somewhat urgent. "Why did you call him here? I don't want to see him, I don't want to see him right now."

Mei'er stood by the bed and cried, "That man is heartless! Ever since he went to Chuzhou, he hasn't come back even once. He must have heard that my lady is seriously ill and has abandoned her. When he was still a silver gong, he often brought his colleagues to the Imperial Academy of Music for drinks, and my lady always treated them with utmost hospitality, sob sob sob."

The courtesans exchanged glances and sighed softly.

Mingyan asked softly, "Is there something on your mind, sister?"

Fuxiang didn't speak, but looked out the window at the vast expanse of sky and earth.

The greatest wish of the women in the Imperial Academy of Music) was simply to escape their lowly status, leave this brothel, and be able to hold their heads high as human beings.

The courtesans understood her meaning, but could only sigh.

The price for Fuxiang's redemption was as high as eight thousand taels.

It had been a long time since Yingmei Pavilion had been this lively. Fuxiang was in high spirits, but as time passed, she gradually became absent-minded, frequently glancing towards the door as if waiting for something.

The courtesans all knew who she was waiting for.

I think of you every day, but I cannot see you.

Mingyan, the courtesan, glanced at the drain in the room, a hint of sadness flashing in her bright eyes. That man would never come after all.

"It's getting late, sisters, we'll be going now." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Sister Fuxiang, take care."

Through her blurred vision, Mingyan noticed that Fuxiang's gaze was fixed on the doorway, and a captivating blush rose on her pale face.

Mingyan's delicate body suddenly stiffened.

Xiao Ya, the courtesan, pursed her lips.

The other courtesans also noticed Fuxiang's unusual behavior. They unconsciously held their breath and slowly turned around to look at her.

A young man stood at the door, dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, with a piece of emerald green jade hanging at his waist, of mediocre quality.

"The robe didn't fit, so I had a maid in the manor alter it." His voice was gentle.

Tears welled up in Fuxiang's eyes; this outfit was what they wore when they first met.

Last October, a young man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe came to Yingmei Pavilion and entered her life.

If only life could be like our first meeting.

Xu Qi'an smiled warmly and spoke gently, "After arriving at the Imperial Academy of Music), I took care of something."

He walked to the table and gently placed an object on it.

The courtesans' gazes fell on the table, unable to look away—it was a contract of servitude.