Xianglan wept for a while, and only after she had poured out enough grief did she begin to feel better. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and slowly walked back. As her sorrow subsided, she felt that with Dingyi Shitai gone, there was no point in staying at Xiansheng Convent. Counting her silver and the remaining jewelry, she found she could scrape together a little over a hundred taels. She thought to herself, "If I were a man, I could travel far away, establish myself in a distant land, and then return to fetch my parents. But now, as a woman, where can I go? And there's no one around to help me." After turning it over in her mind, she still had no plan. She took out a mirror and looked at herself, feeling she was too delicate—even if she dressed as a man, people would still see through her disguise. She couldn't help but sigh again. In both her past and present lives, aside from the days of exile and time in the Buddhist hall, she had spent almost all her time confined within the glittering, wealthy mansions. Reflecting that she only knew how to paint, write, and do needlework, with no other skills, she grew even more disheartened.
After a moment of daze, Xianglan mustered her spirits and told herself, "Don't panic, don't panic. When I was a servant in the Lin family, I thought there was no way out, but in the end, I still managed to leave with my family. Later, when I went to the Lin family, I suffered so much, and now I've come out of it. The path is walked step by step." Her spirits lifted a little, and she spread out paper, dipped her brush in ink, and began writing a eulogy for Dingyi Shitai. Of this, no more need be said.
In the third month, spring garments were thin, and the weather had long since warmed. One day, as dusk approached, a person hurried along the main street. As fate would have it, as this person walked, they suddenly felt a shower of melon seed shells falling from above. Looking up, they saw they had arrived at the entrance of Yicui Pavilion. A courtesan was leaning against the second-floor railing, cracking melon seeds. She tilted her body, revealing half of her lotus-like arm, her face perfectly made up with powder and rouge. She cast a seductive glance sideways, her small, bright red mouth spitting out the seed shells. Their eyes met, and the courtesan, seeing the person's handsome features and dashing appearance, let out a soft laugh. Covering her face with a fan, she smiled and left, her demeanor truly alluring and provocatively wanton.
The person, captivated, unconsciously stepped into Yicui Pavilion. The brothel attendant warmly received them. Clearly an old hand in the world of romance, the person immediately slapped down two taels of silver and described the courtesan's appearance. The attendant laughed and said, "Eldest Master has a good eye—you can tell at a glance you're a seasoned one. That woman is our Chunyan girl, the most famous here. This..." As he spoke, he rubbed his fingers together and subtly extended them from his sleeve.
Without a word, the person took out another five taels. The attendant immediately beamed and said brightly, "Done! Chunyan girl will be right here!"
He led the person to the second floor. Before long, Chunyan indeed arrived. Seeing the person's charming and imposing presence, she couldn't help but feel a bit fond. Using all her skills, she attentively served tea and chatted, and that very night, she had the person stay over.The man was none other than Du Bin! As it turned out, Du Bin had known his scheme was exposed. Not only did Lin Jinlou want him dead, but Lu Shaotang also sought to silence him. Being cunning and treacherous, he had long prepared an escape route. He had a cousin who bore a striking resemblance to him in stature and appearance, and for some time, he had kept this cousin at his residence. Upon returning, he gifted his finest set of clothes to his cousin, had him change and go out, while he himself disguised as a hunchbacked old man and slipped away quietly. His cousin, utterly unaware, ended up dead—stabbed through the heart and his corpse thrown into the river. Since it hadn't been submerged for long, the face was somewhat distorted but still recognizable enough to temporarily deceive others. Later, Lin Jinlou naturally discovered the truth and was furious, sending men everywhere to hunt down Du Bin, though that is a story for another time.
During these days, Du Bin had been hiding and moving from place to place. He first sought refuge with an acquaintance in Hangzhou, but since it was still within Lin Jinlou's territory, he felt uneasy and decided to head south to Fuzhou. On this day, as he reached the Yangzhou area and was traveling along the road, he happened to spot Chunyan. Having been deprived for so long, he couldn't resist and came in to indulge.
For a time, the room was filled with the fading scent of incense and the rustling of crimson bedding, thick with the atmosphere of spring. Once their business concluded, Chunyan had already fallen asleep, while Du Bin hovered between wakefulness and slumber. Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door and jolted upright, immediately reaching for the sword placed by the bedside.
Just then, the brothel attendant whispered at the door, "Eldest Master Qian, Miss Yan'er can't serve you tonight. She has a guest inside."
Qian Wenze flew into a rage upon hearing this, pointing at the attendant's nose and cursing, "Bullshit! Didn't I say I'd have her reserved for me tonight? How could she be booked out?"
The attendant smiled apologetically and slapped his own face, saying, "It's all my fault, all my fault. I saw that the curfew had started and you still hadn't arrived, so I... I thought you weren't coming..."
Qian Wenze was enraged. He kicked the attendant in the chest and swore, "You turtle spawn! Always full of sweet talk, but it turns out you're just trying to outsmart me!" He continued to shout and curse, pounding on the door loudly.
Du Bin grew increasingly agitated. Lin Jinlou's authority was formidable, and his influence vast. Although Du Bin had fled Jinling, he remained as jumpy as a startled bird. Lin Jinlou had ordered both the underworld and the authorities to hunt him down, and he had narrowly escaped capture several times, making him increasingly cautious and unwilling to attract any trouble. Hearing Qian Wenze's commotion, he got up and dressed, intending to leave. But then he remembered the curfew outside—there seemed to be nowhere to go, and encountering soldiers would only bring more trouble. He couldn't help but feel another wave of frustration, regretting his decision to come here.
At that moment, the madam arrived and said to Qian Wenze, "Eldest Master Qian, you must have had too much to drink tonight and come here to vent. Yan'er is my daughter. The money for her daily cosmetics, jewelry, and clothes—where do you think all that silver comes from? Besides, this is a business of charm. Yan'er can sing and paint, and she comes from a respectable family. The entire Yicui Pavilion relies on her to uphold its reputation! If Eldest Master Qian fancies her, use silver to redeem her. I guarantee you can hold her every night without anyone daring to interfere."These words made Qian Wenze both embarrassed and furious, sobering him up by three parts. He sneered coldly, "Fine, fine, fine! You bald-mouthed jailbird, you bridge-burning scoundrel. Isn't this when you need me and coaxed me to spend silver? What peerless beauties has your Elder Master Qian not seen?" He wanted to say that Zhao Yuechan was showing off at his expense, but being clever after all, he forcibly held back. He merely curled his lip and said, "Forget the distant ones, just talking about the nearby—all the girls here tied together aren't as good as the little nun with hair who cultivates at Xiansheng Convent. Born like a celestial being, she even paints excellently. The painting hanging in Yan'er's room was drawn by her. Never mind you boasting that Yan'er can sing and paint—even Mei Jun, the best painter among the Eight Beauties of Yangzhou, is nothing but a fart in front of her. Wait until some time later when I get my hands on her, then you'll know my skills."
The brothel attendant tried to smooth things over, saying, "We naturally aren't as well-traveled as you, sir. Today, I handled things poorly and neglected you. How about having Sister Li serve you? Sister Li was just mentioning you the other day. Later, I'll send you a jar of fine wine, guaranteed to make you comfortable..." His voice gradually faded until it became inaudible. It seemed he had coaxed Qian Wenze away.
Qian Wenze had a bellyful of anger, but although Sister Li couldn't compare to Chunyan, she still had some charm. Hearing the attendant would send wine, he finally went along, cursing and grumbling.
Meanwhile, Du Bin had overheard those words. Ever since he had seen Xianglan, it was as if he had been bewitched, unable to forget her for a long time, feeling as if he carried a ball of fire in his heart. Just now, while fooling around with the prostitute, his mind was full of Xianglan's face. Knowing that Xianglan had once been a nominal disciple at a temple and was skilled at painting, he strangely got out of bed, lit the candle by the bedside, and holding it, went to look at the wall. There, he indeed saw a painting—it depicted Yang Guifei, with one fragrant shoulder partially exposed, lying on a couch in sweet slumber, fitting well with the brothel's decadent atmosphere yet not appearing vulgar. Looking at the signature, he found only a seal with the seal-script character "Lan." Du Bin's heart instantly stirred greatly.
Early the next morning, Du Bin went to Xiansheng Convent but didn't see Xianglan. Patiently, he waited another day and finally saw a girl wearing a hood come out from the back door, carrying a bundle of firewood. Her figure, appearance, and the chin revealed under the hood closely resembled Xianglan. Overjoyed, Du Bin thought to himself, "This is a match made by heaven; she is meant to be mine. To encounter such beauty from afar—this is fate tying the red thread for me! If I don't take her away this time, I'd be unworthy of this destined fate."
He thought further, "This Xiansheng Convent isn't some isolated nunnery; it has some reputation, and there are men managing affairs inside. It might not be easy to bully. Better to find out where she lives, hide nearby first, and abduct her in the dead of night—no one would know, a perfect plan." Being somewhat skilled in martial arts, he quietly slipped in, found Xianglan's residence, and hid himself.
When night fell, Xianglan had finished painting and put down her brush to sleep. Worried about her future prospects, she lay in bed restlessly, half-dreaming, when suddenly she heard a faint creaking sound at the door. Startled, before she could sit up, she felt a rush of sweet, pungent scent at her nose and mouth. Her head tilted, and she lost consciousness.Speaking of Du Bin, he brushed aside the stray hairs by Xianglan’s face and, under the moonlight, saw a countenance as beautiful as an orchid. Who else could it be but Xianglan? Overjoyed, he dared not linger any longer. He bound her hands and feet, gagged her mouth, wrapped her in a bedsheet, and tied her to his back. Outside the wall, he had already prepared a rope. Swiftly scaling the wall and carrying his loot, he slipped away with nimble movements.
Du Bin had planned everything in advance and brought Xianglan to the Yicui Pavilion. Behind the pavilion, there was a row of side rooms where aging courtesans lived. Du Bin found one called Hong Gu, gave her five hundred coins in silver, and asked her to vacate the room for the night. Hong Gu readily agreed, took the money, and handed over the key to Du Bin.
Du Bin then settled Xianglan inside. Just as he placed her on the kang, he suddenly heard a commotion of shouting and cursing at the door. A woman screamed in panic, "Something terrible has happened! The officers are here!" Du Bin, feeling guilty, was instantly startled. He hastily grabbed his sword and rushed out the door, hiding in a panic.
Xianglan had been in a daze but was gradually regaining consciousness. She found her hands and feet bound and her mouth stuffed with something, which terrified her. She struggled desperately but couldn’t sit up.
At that moment, the door slammed open. Xianglan quickly turned her head to look and saw Chunyan rushing in, her face filled with panic. Chunyan hastily closed the door behind her. Outside, the sounds of smashing and cursing continued unabated. Chunyan’s face was deathly pale as she clutched her chest and said, "That Ogress truly scared me to death. Luckily, I ran fast enough."
It turned out that two nights earlier, Qian Wenze had come looking for Chunyan but failed to find her. Instead, he was scolded by the madam, which made him feel humiliated and resentful. He thought to himself that he must teach her a lesson to vent his anger. Qian Wenze knew that Chunyan had recently captivated Judge Lu of the prefectural office. Judge Lu’s wife, née Zhou, was the daughter of a centurion and had a notoriously fierce temper, often acting like a shrew. Judge Lu dared not even breathe loudly in her presence, and the maids at home were too afraid to even glance at him. Thus, he sought amusement outside and had previously been infatuated with a courtesan named Han Guijie. When Zhou found out, she wasted no time and led a group of people to storm the brothel, smashing everything in sight and throwing Han Guijie into a cesspit.
Qian Wenze was having an affair with the wife of a clerk in Judge Lu’s household. He leaked this information, and sure enough, Zhou mobilized soldiers under her father’s command and stormed over in a rage, barging into the Yicui Pavilion and wreaking havoc. Qian Wenze stood in the main hall with his hands tucked in his sleeves, watching the spectacle. Seeing the madam and the brothel servants kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy, he felt immense satisfaction. He picked up a small wine jar and drank heavily, his heart as refreshed as if he had eaten a cool watermelon on a hot summer day.
Chunyan had been upstairs drinking with Judge Lu. When Judge Lu heard that his wife had arrived, his legs went weak with fear, and he slipped under the bed to hide. Chunyan, well aware of the fierce woman’s notorious reputation, was also terrified. She hurried down the narrow staircase and hid in the backyard. Noticing that the door to Hong Gu’s room was slightly ajar, she dashed inside.
When Xianglan saw it was Chunyan, she struggled even more fiercely, making muffled "mmph" sounds.
Chunyan was startled and cautiously moved closer. Staring at Xianglan for a long while, she found her face familiar but couldn’t recall where she had seen her before. Muttering to herself, she said, "Where did you come from? Are you a new girl the madam bought? But… but you shouldn’t be kept here…" Seeing Xianglan’s continuous tears and the intense plea in her eyes, Chunyan removed the cloth gagging her mouth.Xianglan gasped twice and said, "Chunyan, Chunyan, please save me!"
The name "Chunyan" had long been unused, causing Chunyan's expression to shift dramatically. "You recognize me?" she asked.
Xianglan replied, "How could I not? I'm Chen Xianglan, your family's former neighbor."
Chunyan stared at Xianglan for a moment before suddenly understanding. "Oh... so it's you..." Her expression then became unreadable—part sorrow, part resentment, part schadenfreude—as she said, "What, did the Lin family sell you here too?"
Xianglan quickly explained, "No, I was kidnapped by villains. Someone entered my room earlier, used knockout incense, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was here." She then pleaded, "Chunyan, please untie me."
Chunyan sneered, "Why should I help you? And why should I believe you?"
Xianglan paused, thought briefly, and clarity returned to her eyes. "Chunyan, if you untie the ropes on my wrists, I'll give you fifty taels of silver."
Assuming Xianglan had been trafficked and sold here, Chunyan scoffed and patted Xianglan's cheek. "You're fooling me. This is a brothel. If you had silver on you, the madam would've taken it long ago—how could you possibly give me fifty taels? Hmph!"
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