At once, the atmosphere in the courtyard turned tense and uncomfortable.
Zhu Piaoling froze, cursing inwardly. Damn it. I came here on Dao Xuan Tianzun's orders to do good, but somehow I've ended up playing the villain, tearing apart a pair of lovers.
Li Daoxuan also stiffened for a brief moment. However, as a modern man, he was broad-minded and highly adaptable. After a moment's thought, he concluded that the girl genuinely cared for the prefect. If that was the case, forcing her away would be inappropriate. Letting her choose for herself would be better.
Li Daoxuan lowered his voice, speaking in a tone only Zhu Piaoling could hear. "Give her the choice. Let her decide whether to stay or leave."
Upon receiving this "highest directive," Zhu Piaoling's spirits immediately lifted. He cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Ah, so that's how it is. You two have feelings for each other. Our Prince of Qin's Mansion is very reasonable. His Highness the Heir Apparent is especially fair-minded. Xue'er, the decision is entirely yours. If you wish to stay, the Prince of Qin's Mansion will not buy you."
The Suzhou prefect's face instantly lit up with joy.
Zhu Piaoling then turned to the madam and said, "This girl is quite beautiful. You owe me eighty taels back."
The madam hurriedly began fumbling for the silver.
However, just as everyone expected Xue'er to choose to stay, the sorrowful expression on her face suddenly vanished. Her eyes became empty and emotionless, as if a mask had been removed.
"This humble concubine is willing to enter the Prince of Qin's Mansion," she said calmly.
"What?" The Suzhou prefect was stunned. "Why?"
Zhu Piaoling was equally bewildered. "Why?"
Even Li Daoxuan was taken aback. What is going on?
Xue'er's expression remained perfectly composed. The grief and affection she had shown moments earlier now seemed completely fabricated. She turned toward the Suzhou prefect, her face devoid of emotion.
"Prefect," she said evenly, "you just said we have been together for many years. Yet you have never once thought of buying my freedom."
The Suzhou prefect stammered, unable to form a response.
A collective gasp rippled through the courtyard.
Xue'er continued, "Every day in the Pear Garden, this humble concubine must entertain several groups of guests. I sing for them, drink with them, write poetry, and paint. I spend my days forcing smiles onto my face, living like a dog. Prefect, do you truly believe you are any different from those other guests?"
Her voice remained calm, but each word struck like a blade.
"If you truly were different, why did you not buy my freedom? Why did you not take me as your concubine? My demands were never high. I never dared to aspire to the position of primary wife. All I wanted was to stop entertaining guests, to leave the Pear Garden, and to live quietly as a concubine in your prefectural residence. Yet even that simple wish was denied."
No one spoke.
Xue'er spread her hands slightly. "I originally planned to leave you with a beautiful memory, Prefect. I wanted you to believe that even after we parted, there was a woman in this world who truly adored you. But what kind of farce are you trying to stage now?"
She continued, still expressionless, "At last, I have the chance to leave the Pear Garden and live peacefully in the back garden of the Prince's Mansion. As long as I do not compete for favor or make enemies in the inner court, I can spend the rest of my life enjoying music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Would that not be wonderful?"
Her gaze hardened slightly.
"Yet you still wish to keep me in the Pear Garden, visiting only when you remember me. When you forget me, should I continue flattering other men here?"
The Suzhou prefect stood frozen, his lips trembling. For a long time, he could not utter a single word.
The thirty-four courtesans nearby wore expressions that were difficult to describe.
Zhu Piaoling stood there in silence for several breaths. Then he suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Amusing! Truly fascinating! I have learned something new today. This is genuinely interesting!"
He was genuinely delighted. Coming out to see the world had been the right decision.
If he had not come, how would he ever have understood what a courtesan truly thought? Hearing Xue'er's words felt like a new world opening before his eyes.
No wonder Dao Xuan Tianzun wanted him to save these women.
They truly needed saving.
No matter how glamorous their lives in the brothel appeared, it was all superficial.
Those high officials and noble lords who claimed to love them, how many truly cared?
As Xue'er said, if you truly loved her, why did you not buy her freedom? Fine words meant nothing. If you truly loved someone, how could you endure seeing her smile and entertain other guests every day? Would you not feel jealous? Would you not feel humiliated?
You could accept it only because you never truly cared.
Zhu Piaoling's expression turned cold as he pointed at the Suzhou prefect. "Get out of my sight. If you dare look at Xue'er again, I will submit an impeachment memorial. The Emperor will strip you of office, have you arrested, and send you to Ningxia to herd horses."
The Suzhou prefect was so frightened that he stumbled back several steps.
Even the eunuch from the capital shook his head, looking at the prefect with open disdain. If we eunuchs form a paired-meal relationship with a palace maid, we cherish her and give her everything we have, he thought. Unlike this man, full of fake affection.
Xue'er stepped forward and curtsied gracefully. "Thank you, Manager, for standing up for Xue'er."
Zhu Piaoling laughed. "You are truly formidable. If I were the Heir Apparent, I would not dare take you as a concubine. I fear it would not take long before the other concubines were eliminated and you claimed the position of primary consort."
Xue'er replied softly, "Manager, you jest. I have already said that I do not wish to compete for favor. I only want a quiet life and peaceful days."
Zhu Piaoling nodded. "Then you shall have it."
With Xue'er's declaration, the thirty or forty courtesans stopped pretending altogether and hurried to stand behind Zhu Piaoling.
Zhu Piaoling rose to his feet. "Let's go."
"Yes!"
The group swaggered out of the Pear Garden.
The Suzhou prefect stood where he was, his face ashen, watching them disappear into the distance.
After they had gone some way, Xue'er, the boldest among them, asked, "Manager, where are we going now? Are we traveling to Shaanxi by carriage?"
Zhu Piaoling chuckled. "Traveling to Shaanxi by carriage would be courting death. We will go to Anqing first and then find a large ship to take us upriver."
"By ship?"
The courtesans collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The Central Plains were in chaos, and traveling overland was extremely dangerous. Moreover, they were all women with no combat ability. Even if they resisted, it would only provoke bandits further. Falling into such hands would be worse than death.
The women began to imagine life in the inner court of the Prince's Mansion, no longer needing to entertain guests, dealing only with the Heir Apparent himself. Compared to their current lives, it sounded far easier.
However, among them, Chen Yuanyuan's attention was not on the Prince's Mansion at all.
Her gaze was fixed on the embroidered image on Zhu Piaoling's chest.
Just moments earlier, while Xue'er and the prefect were acting out their emotional scene, she thought she saw it again. The embroidery seemed to speak, and Zhu Piaoling appeared to be listening.
She could not be sure.