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墨書 Inktalez
Bawer patted his thigh and lamented, "Why break down our front door when you could have just come in? My lord, you are truly formidable!"
Despite his complaints, he did not dare to act recklessly. Jiang Xuanzi had an appearance that was markedly different from ordinary people; although he looked young, there was a chilling quality in his gaze. Bawer, having seen countless people, could tell that he was extraordinary.
Li Hong quickly handed a shiny silver coin to Bawer and said, "This gentleman is an envoy from Nanyang here to pay tribute to our Celestial Empire. He is unfamiliar with our customs. Please do not take offense, we will just sit for a while and then leave."
The excuse he came up with sounded plausible enough. Bawer suddenly understood and, hearing Li Hong refer to her as "madam," smiled broadly and welcomed them in, saying, "Please come in, it’s just a door; no harm done." As she spoke, she ushered them inside and called for a carpenter to repair the door.
They walked around the screen wall and turned through the Corner Gate into the inner courtyard, which was quite elegant. There were pavilions, towers, and gardens; despite its small size, it was well-appointed and did not resemble a common household but rather that of a wealthy family.
As they walked, Li Hong released his Divine Consciousness and detected three individuals with signs of Yin Power fluctuations. Among them, Bawer was merely an uninformed mortal. The three were residing in an independent Small Pavilion in the back garden and appeared to be distinguished courtesans enjoying good treatment. One of them was Autumn Maiden.
This was quite interesting; it was unclear what purpose Li Xiaolou had in placing these three pieces on the board.
While pondering this, Li Hong soon arrived at the Flower Hall in the back garden. Bawer ordered tea to be served and smiled, saying, "Our Lianxiang Courtyard has some small fame in Lin'an; we often host officials and nobles. However, it seems that several of your guards are unfamiliar faces; I suppose this is their first visit? And now you’ve brought an envoy as well; my humble abode truly shines with your presence. Please take a seat; I will call the ladies out." With that, she swayed her waist and left in a flurry.
Upon hearing "we often host officials and nobles," Li Hong's heart stirred with a hint of thought. He communicated with Jiang Xuanzi and Wei Ming about his ideas.
Before long, the sound of chirping birds filled the air as Bawer entered with a group of young ladies. In an instant, the Flower Hall was filled with colors of pink and green adorned with gold hairpins, but they were all rather ordinary women.
Jiang Xuanzi's expression darkened: "What kind of people are these! Get them out of here; bring in the top courtesans!"
Bawer's eyes darted as she smiled brightly: "Perhaps you gentlemen have done your homework before coming here. However, I must clarify one thing: our three top courtesans are all independent and well-known in Lin'an; they associate only with scholars and not commoners. I cannot force them. Let me ask if they would like to come; if they agree, that would be best to avoid putting me in a difficult position."
She turned to leave but had not yet exited when she saw that the tall "guard" had somehow appeared right before her, smiling as he slipped something heavy into her hand.
Bawer focused her gaze and found it was a large gold ingot, heavy in her grasp. She was overjoyed and tiptoed to pat Li Hong's shoulder, winking as she said, "All three ladies are available today. It's just casual conversation over drinks; I will take charge of this." With that, Bawer happily went off like a willow swaying in the wind.
The Flower Hall immediately fell silent.
Bawer headed straight for the first Small Pavilion on her right. Before long, she came out again and whispered to her maid behind her, "Keep an eye on Fang Niang; make sure she gets ready quickly."
The maid responded affirmatively and turned to walk into the building. Bawer followed the flower path and entered the second Small Pavilion.
Autumn Maiden sat before the mirror, the red candle flickering, illuminating a stunning face with autumn-like beauty, delicate as jade.
Her raven-black hair was unbound, cascading messily over her snow-white shoulders, and the air was thick with the scent of cosmetics. She smiled gently at her reflection; her fair oval face framed strikingly by her deep black and white eyes, captivating anyone who gazed upon them. Two charming dimples appeared at the corners of her rosy lips.
She maintained this enchanting expression for a while, then suddenly raised an eyebrow slightly, tilting her face. From this angle, even someone with a heart of stone would be moved by the beauty reflected in the copper mirror.
Bawer entered just in time to witness this scene and covered her mouth with a laugh, saying, "Autumn Maiden, stop practicing! If I were a man, I would be unable to resist taking you away! Hurry and fix your hair; there are guests outside calling for you!"
Autumn Maiden frowned. "Who is it? I usually don't meet with common guests. If Qin Young Master finds out, I won't be able to bear the consequences. You will also face trouble."
"I know, I know. But those gentlemen are palace guards and they brought along an envoy from Nanyang; they have status and cannot overlook you," old Bawer said cheerfully as she approached, personally gathering Autumn Maiden's long, flowing black hair. She exclaimed in admiration, "What beautiful hair! Why not have Xiaocui come in to style it into a falling horse bun? Wear that new pink gauze butterfly embroidered robe from yesterday; those guards will be so enchanted they won't even know which way to go."
"Palace guards?" Autumn Maiden pondered for a moment, then bit her red lip and nodded lightly. "Alright, I'll go. But was that commotion just now caused by those guards?"
"It's nothing; they were just impatiently calling for someone to open the door. Hurry and get ready; I'll go urge Mei Niang. This time you three sisters must present yourselves well; the gentlemen are generous with their rewards. It's just casual drinks; even if Qin Young Master knows about it, he won't say anything. You can rest assured with me here." Bawer instructed Xiaocui to come up and style Autumn Maiden's hair before heading to the third Small Pavilion to hurry Mei Niang.
After Bawer left, Autumn Maiden's expression darkened. A faint trace of dark energy abruptly appeared on her fair face, quickly vanishing from her eyes. Her gaze turned eerily deep black, with a tiny blood-red dot in the center.
The red candle on the dressing table flickered violently and extinguished.
The timid maid Xiaocui cautiously approached Autumn Maiden from behind while holding the Dressing Box. She glanced into the mirror and was so frightened that she nearly dropped the Box she was holding, gripping it tightly and not daring to look at Autumn Maiden.
Autumn Maiden tugged at her collar and suddenly regained her usual demeanor. She whispered harshly, "Useless thing! I intended to promote you; how can you accomplish anything with such a timid heart? Serve me properly while I style my hair into a falling horse bun."
Xiaocui trembled as she styled Autumn Maiden's hair and helped her change clothes. Finally, Autumn Maiden retrieved a gilded black lacquer box from beneath the Dressing Table. She opened it carefully to reveal layers of silk wrapping inside and solemnly took out a Golden Phoenix Hairpin about a foot long, placing it into her hair herself.
This Golden Phoenix Hairpin shimmered brilliantly in gold and green; atop it stood a small exquisite phoenix whose eyes were set with blood-red gemstones, crafted so lifelike that it seemed almost divine.
The golden hairpin clearly served a purpose beyond mere decoration. As Autumn Maiden walked a few steps in the room, a faint and peculiar fragrance spread with her footsteps.
The boudoir seemed to be enveloped in a layer of pink. Xiaocui, standing nearby, slowly flushed, her heart racing as a warm current surged to her chest. Her eyes gradually misted over, as if she were about to speak, which startled her into quickly covering her mouth, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Seeing Xiaocui's terrified expression, Autumn Maiden smiled smugly. She raised her delicate white hand and gently brushed the long, crimson nails against the two blood-red gems on the phoenix hairpin, speaking slowly, "Clean up the room for me and burn Yun Jiu incense. Notify Qin Xiang in an hour. Remember!"
Xiaocui nodded vigorously.
Autumn Maiden slowly walked toward Flower Hall, her cloud-like hair cascading to one side, the jingling of her ornaments resembling a fairy from the Jade Pool. A captivating fragrance emanated from her hair.
*******
Before she arrived, the strange fragrance had already wafted into Flower Hall. Soon after, her stunning beauty appeared at the entrance. Autumn Maiden gracefully bowed, "Greetings to all esteemed gentlemen."
She lifted her head, and as her striking autumn water-like eyes scanned the room, everyone inside was stunned into silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Wei Ming felt a rush of heat surge to his chest and couldn't help but stand up, saying, "Miss, come sit beside me." Without waiting for a response, he gestured for her to sit next to him while glaring at Li Hong and others, clearly indicating that anyone who tried to compete with him would face his wrath.
Autumn Maiden displayed a hesitant expression: "This..." She lightly bit her red lip but glanced at Jiang Xuanzi and Li Hong.
Wei Ming immediately grew angry and rushed over to grab Autumn Maiden's hand. Ignoring her startled exclamation, he forcefully seated her beside him and sat closely next to her. He looked around at Li Hong and others and declared loudly, "If I say sit down, then sit! Don't mind them. Hmph! Anyone who dares to compete with me will regret it!"
As he spoke, Bawer entered with Mei Niang and Fang Niang. Mei Niang was delicate and graceful; Fang Niang had rich skin adorned with heavy makeup. Under the candlelight, both appeared stunning but paled slightly in comparison to Autumn Maiden.
Bawer noticed Wei Ming's expression change and secretly chuckled while maintaining a cheerful demeanor. "Gentlemen, please make yourselves comfortable. Mei Niang, Fang Niang, Autumn Maiden, you three take good care of our guests while I arrange for the feast."
Once the food and drink were served, Wei Ming became increasingly distracted as he leaned closer to Autumn Maiden, his face nearly touching her neck. He blushed and said, "You smell wonderful; what kind of perfume is this? Let me see where you apply it..." He reached out his hand.
Autumn Maiden feigned innocence and sidestepped slightly while softly saying, "Sir, please behave yourself; I sell my talents but not my body."
Li Hong watched coldly for a while and then smiled, "So you do have some skills! Well then, show us what you can do. If it's not good, I will have to punish you."
Autumn Maiden lightly bit her soft, rosy lips and after a moment, she cast a charming sidelong glance at Li Hong and said, "What does the master want to hear? I can play both the flute and the xiao."
Before Li Hong could respond, Wei Ming slammed his hand on the table and stood up, "No! You can only serve me, master. I can't wait any longer; let's go!" He suddenly picked up Autumn Maiden in his arms and strode toward the Flower Hall.
Mei Niang and Fang Niang exchanged knowing glances, their faces flushed as they giggled softly, "The guard is quite eager; Autumn Maiden will surely resist!"
Autumn Maiden cried out in a delicate voice, twisting and struggling in Wei Ming's arms. Her hairpin fell to the ground with a clatter as her hairstyle came undone.
Autumn Maiden exclaimed in panic, "My hairpin!"
Wei Ming, with an eager expression, sniffed at her neck while holding her tightly as if his arms were two iron hoops. Autumn Maiden couldn't move an inch.
Wei Ming laughed heartily, "It's just a hairpin! With me as your master, I'll give you a hundred of those gold hairpins!"
He carried Autumn Maiden straight toward the fragrant chamber.
Outside Lianxiang Courtyard, the sound of rushing carriages approached.
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