VBNWDW - Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Urgent reports from the border arrived one after another, leaving Zhong Tuming no time to even consider. After hastily descending the mountain, he began drafting an edict, fulfilling the three demands Zhong Jueyu had made, one by one.
Afterward, Zhong Jueyu descended the mountain with Luo Yueqing and moved into the Grand Princess's manor that very night.
She had not even had a moment to sit down and rest before a eunuch arrived with a verbal decree from His Majesty, ordering Zhong Jueyu to attend the morning court session the next day.
Bright sunlight scattered down. With the toll of a heavy bell, the morning mist dispersed, and the capital returned to its usual hustle and bustle, undiminished by the flames of war on the border.
The morning court session behind the red walls finally concluded. Officials in their various court robes walked out of the imperial palace in groups of three and five, then stepped into their carriages with the help of their servants.
Whips cracked and hooves clopped as the carriages departed in all directions.
Among them was an exceptionally luxurious five-horse carriage that stood out from the rest. Some people even lifted their carriage curtains to peek in its direction, but they could see nothing. The carriage was surrounded by guards in iron armor, obscuring most of it from view.
The driver of that carriage noticed the gazes and couldn't help but straighten his back, a look of shared glory on his face. He turned his head toward the interior and spoke respectfully, "Your Highness, someone from the Weaving Administration came to say that the new court robes will be delivered to the manor a little later."
The wind lifted the curtain, revealing the person inside. The Grand Princess, dressed in a crimson python robe, nodded. Her deep, stunning features carried a hint of fatigue, and her attitude was not one of joy. It was as if she had merely heard a trivial matter and was brushing it aside.
The driver dared not disturb her further. He turned back to the front and focused on driving.
Zhong Jueyu raised a hand and rubbed the space between her furrowed brows.
Things had been rushed the previous night. The eunuch had only managed to enter the temple before dark, hastily read the decree to prove His Majesty's intentions, and left. Everything else, like this carriage, had only been prepared today.
Before the court session, her carriage had been drawn by four horses, just like any other high-ranking official. It was only during the session that His Majesty had bestowed upon her this excessively opulent five-horse carriage, a treatment befitting a prince or marquis. The new official robes and other rewards would surely be delivered in the coming days.
But Zhong Jueyu felt no joy, only amusement.
She knew exactly why His Majesty was in such a hurry. It was because during the court session, she had not taken the initiative to accept the heavy responsibility of leading the troops. The Emperor, left to his own devices, had started to fret, assuming Zhong Jueyu was still waiting for a clearer sign of his sincerity. That was why he had first gifted her the carriage.
Zhong Jueyu understood his meaning but continued to drag her feet, refusing to give him a clear answer. She had other plans in mind and had no intention of rushing to the border just yet.
As she pondered, the carriage arrived before the princess's manor. The Grand Princess's manor was extremely close to the imperial palace, built on a plot of land personally selected by the late Empress. Construction had begun when she was a child, and she had moved in upon coming of age.
Servants who had been waiting for a long time brought a footstool and placed it beside the carriage, preparing to help her alight.
But Zhong Jueyu did not move. She suddenly asked, "Where is Shigui?"
Ruan He and Li Shigui were still on sick leave and had not attended the morning court session with her.
A servant quickly replied, "Lady Shigui said she was worried the little Daoist would be bored alone, so she took her out after breakfast."
Luo Yueqing's current situation was unique, and her identity could not be explained to the servants. So, for the time being, the matter was set aside, and the clever servants followed Li Shigui's lead, calling her "little Daoist."
A trace of surprise appeared on Zhong Jueyu's face. She had intended to have Li Shigui accompany her to the military barracks. With her free-spirited and straightforward personality, she was better suited for the current situation than Ruan He. But she hadn't expected her to have taken Luo Yueqing out.
Zhong Jueyu thought that Luo Yueqing had been cooped up on the mountain for two years and could finally come down. It would be good for Li Shigui to take her out to have some fun. She decided not to disturb them and changed her order. "Then have Ruan He come over."
A moment later, the carriage wheels began to roll once more, heading toward the outskirts of the city.
In the blink of an eye, it was dusk. The clamor of the day faded, and the evening breeze carried the smoke from kitchen chimneys. Some homes had already lit their lamps, and the scattered lights complemented the not-yet-darkened sky.
And Luo Yueqing, the little Daoist in her robes, stood before a three-story building with a look of bewildered helplessness, as if she had never witnessed such a worldly scene.
Beside her, Li Shigui was the most composed. She said nonchalantly, "Let's go. Didn't you want to eat that Ruyi Cake?"
Luo Yueqing blinked, tilting her head up at the excessively garish, decadent world before her. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure this is the place?"
The small building, with a plaque that read "The Blissful Pavilion," was hung with red lanterns. Women in colorful dresses leaned against the railings, laughing as they dropped handkerchiefs down below. The thick scent of perfume reached them before they even stepped inside.
From within, the sounds of zithers and flutes intertwined. The enchanting music, from some unknown score, was enough to make one's bones melt, to say nothing of the songstresses' crooning voices.
No wonder people were willing to spend a fortune here.
An old woman passing by glanced at the two of them and actually spat quietly in disdain.
Luo Yueqing: "…"
The little Daoist's reputation was about to be ruined here.
"Come on," Li Shigui said, her expression casual, as if she didn't understand what the other was so shocked about. She tilted her head and urged her forward.
The little Daoist had never set foot in such a place and felt a little apprehensive. She asked, "Does Her Highness know that this Ruyi Cake comes from The Blissful Pavilion?"
Li Shigui paused for a moment, recalling her last conversation with the Grand Princess. Without much thought, she replied, "She knows. I told her."
Hearing this, Luo Yueqing let out a sigh of relief. Only then did she muster the courage to step into The Blissful Pavilion with Li Shigui.
On the other side of the city, the carriage was returning from the outskirts.
It was unclear what had happened, but the atmosphere inside the carriage was not relaxed. The two women sat in silence.
Zhong Jueyu turned her head, looking out at the street through the lifted curtain. Her eyes reflected the streetscape, as if she were contemplating something, or perhaps simply in a daze.
It wasn't until a servant who had rushed ahead walked quickly to the side of the carriage that she finally spoke.
"Are Shigui and the little Daoist back yet?" she asked.
The servant hurriedly replied, "Not yet."
"Still not back?" Zhong Jueyu's brow furrowed.
They had been out playing all day. Why weren't they back when it was almost dark?
Beside her, Ruan He's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition inexplicably rising within her.
Then she heard the servant explain, "Lady Shigui said she was taking the little Daoist to The Blissful Pavilion to buy pastries. She only had someone else bring back the things they bought during the day. There's been no news since."
"The Blissful Pavilion?" Zhong Jueyu's expression turned cold as she repeated the name, her tone heavy.
The servant, not understanding, replied, "Yes, The Blissful Pavilion."
Even Ruan He realized this was bad. If she weren't sharing a carriage with the Grand Princess, she would have already galloped over to catch the two troublemakers. Was that a place one could just casually enter?
Zhong Jueyu's face grew colder, her lips pressed into a thin line.
Perhaps it was because night was falling and a chill was setting in, but the temperature inside the carriage suddenly plummeted, making one feel inexplicably cold.
Zhong Jueyu was completely shrouded in shadow, her face obscured. One could only see the python on her crimson robe growing more ferocious, its sharp claws suddenly seeming even more menacing.
"Your Highness…" Ruan He began hesitantly, feeling uneasy.
But Zhong Jueyu ignored her, saying to the driver in a deep voice, "Turn around."
The driver, unaware of the situation, just let out a confused "Huh?"
Zhong Jueyu said again, "To The Blissful Pavilion."
The silhouette of the princess's manor was already visible up ahead, but the carriage wheels turned once more, moving away from it again.
The horses seemed displeased, moving sluggishly and refusing to go forward. They only broke into a trot after the driver gave them a crack of the whip.
As night fell, The Blissful Pavilion grew even more lively. The generous candlelight illuminated the entire building, making it more dazzling than the stars in the sky.
"Welcome, esteemed guests…" A woman who came forward with a smile began to call out, but her voice instantly faded in the next second when she saw the incredibly noble robes.
Then, Ruan He, who followed behind, swept her gaze over the crowd, and everyone around them fell to their knees.
Everyone knew that the current Emperor had few children. Besides the Crown Prince and the Grand Princess, there were only three other imperial princes and princesses. The princes were made kings upon coming of age and sent to their fiefdoms, while the princesses remained hidden in the palace, with no news of them for a long time.
The only woman who could wear a python robe today was the Grand Princess, a person of immense status.
Outside The Blissful Pavilion, a crowd was kneeling, but the inside remained unaffected.
Zhong Jueyu waved her hand, signaling them not to make a scene. She had the soldiers who followed her stand guard at the door, then strode inside.
Most of the people inside were drunk. Men and women mingled together, their noisy chatter grating on the nerves.
Zhong Jueyu had never been to such a place. The deeper she went, the more she frowned, a vertical line forming between her brows.
Ruan He, following closely behind her, felt the same, silently cursing Li Shigui for bringing the little Daoist to such a place.
Because of the drunkenness, no one recognized Zhong Jueyu at first, so The Blissful Pavilion remained as it was before, and the two on the second floor were not disturbed.
The private seating on the second floor was unique, shaped like a hollow square. The center was open, surrounded by a wooden railing and veiled with gauze, allowing those on the second floor to look down at the singing and dancing below without being seen. The area was further divided into individual rooms by wooden partitions, each independent and offering great privacy. They were typically reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles.
Just as Zhong Jueyu reached the door of one, she heard a familiar voice.
Li Shigui was as boisterous as ever. Having had a bit to drink, her voice was unconsciously raised. "Well? Didn't I tell you this wine was good?"
She sounded rather proud, as if showing off.
The other person's voice was a little lower and answered after a slight delay. "It's good. Not as good as the Ruyi Cake."
The nonsensical reply suggested she had also had some wine.
Li Shigui said again, "All you can think about is that pastry."
Not to be outdone, the little Daoist retorted, "That's better than you staring at the ladies downstairs the whole time."
"As if you weren't looking. I wonder who was so mesmerized the moment they walked in that they absentmindedly drank two cups of wine," Li Shigui immediately shot back.
"I was startled!" Luo Yueqing grew angry just thinking about what had happened. She couldn't believe that she had been surrounded the moment she stepped inside, while Li Shigui had hidden nearby, watching the show.
"Right, right. The startled little Daoist drank two cups of their wine. If I hadn't called out to you in time, wouldn't you have been dragged away by them?"
Since the late Empress had ruled from behind the curtain, the status of women in Great Liang had steadily risen. Young ladies and madams who were once confined to their homes could now go out to conduct business. Most daughters of official families were also allowed to attend school, their knowledge no less than that of men.
Later, with the Grand Princess entering the court and her subordinates Ruan He and Li Shigui becoming generals as women, the social customs grew even more open. There were even proposals to open the imperial examinations to women, allowing them to serve as officials.
Therefore, it was no big deal for women to enter a brothel. The courtesans were not only used to it but also warmly welcomed such guests. After all, compared to crude men, women were gentler and more interesting, with much less false flattery.
So, for the sake of female patrons, they would even compete for them. And so it was that Luo Yueqing and Li Shigui were surrounded the moment they entered and were nearly dragged away.
"How is that possible! Don't talk nonsense!" the little Daoist retorted in a raised voice, determined to defend her innocence.
She didn't notice that Li Shigui had suddenly frozen, staring at the door with a mixture of shock and terror.
Outside the open wooden door, Zhong Jueyu was leaning lazily against the frame. It was unclear how long she had been listening. Seeing that Li Shigui had finally noticed her, she curled her lips into a smile and looked at her.
The smile did not reach her eyes. Her upturned phoenix eyes were dark and inscrutable, enough to make one's legs go weak.
Li Shigui swallowed hard. Just as she was about to warn the person beside her, she was silenced by Zhong Jueyu's cold glare.
Luo Yueqing, unaware and seemingly a bit drunk, didn't hear Li Shigui's reply. She hugged the wine pot and stared blankly at the scene below.
Until a voice sounded beside her.
Someone spoke, "Let Us pour you a drink, Daoist."
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