met free Chapter 507 The Lord of Hedong's Plea for Help
Chapter 507 The Lord of Hedong's Plea for Help
Liu Ye toyed with his wine glass, then put it down and said slowly, "Miss Li Xiangjun, whether you were invited by Gu Hengbo or the Duke of Wei, you should at least give the Duke of Wei face, even if you don't give face to the owner of Meilou. Besides, one must have professional ethics. Since you've entered this profession, whether voluntarily or under duress, you must abide by its rules. It's your good fortune if customers are willing to support you; serving tea and wine to customers is your duty. Now that my cousin has taken a liking to you, do you know what to do? Do you need me to teach you and help you establish the rules?"
Li Xiangjun, originally surnamed Wu, came from an official family. However, her family fell into ruin after her father offended Wei Zhongxian. She entered the profession at the age of eight and was adopted by another famous courtesan, Li Zhenli, changing her surname to Li. Under the careful tutelage of her adoptive mother, Li Zhenli, she became proficient in music, poetry, and various instruments, especially Southern opera. Her sweet and melodious voice was deeply admired. Furthermore, her adoptive mother, Li Zhenli, was both righteous and generous, yet also possessed a refined taste. Therefore, the patrons of her Meixiang Pavilion were mostly scholars and gentlemen who tried various ways to please her. Many spent lavishly to become her intimate companions, but to no avail. Growing up in such an environment, how could "Xiangshanzhui" (Li Xiangjun's nickname) have ever heard such cruel words?
Li Xiangjun silently repeated the words, "It's your blessing that guests are willing to fawn over you; serving them tea and wine is your duty," feeling a sharp pain in her heart. Though the words were harsh, they were an undeniable truth. Stripped of her glamorous facade, she was still just a prostitute, using her looks to please others, not a wealthy young lady. As she thought this, tears streamed down her face—everything she had once been so proud of was nothing but fleeting illusion.
Seeing Li Xiangjun weep in front of everyone, Liu Ye felt disappointed and displeased. His face darkened, and his eyes gradually sharpened. Standing behind the women, Shimazu Chiyo, seeing her master's expression, stepped forward and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
Seeing this, Gu Hengbo quickly grabbed Li Xiangjun's hand and dragged her toward Liang Xiaoming, explaining, "This young lady hasn't seen much of the world, and she's a little scared to see two important figures like the Duke and the Earl of Pingnan." Upon seeing this, Shimazu Chiyo slowly loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword.
Li Xiangjun sat blankly next to Liang Xiaoming, not even bothering to wipe away her tears, letting them flow and drip onto her clothes.
Liang Xiaoming felt a pang of sympathy. Li Xiangjun's silent crying was exactly the same as his first girlfriend's when she was angry. He couldn't help but reach out to wipe her tears, but before he could touch her face, he felt it was inappropriate. He wanted to find a handkerchief and rummaged around on his body, but how could a grown man carry a handkerchief with him?
Gu Hengbo, who was standing nearby, quickly pulled out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Liang Xiaoming.
Liang Xiaoming smiled gratefully at her and carefully wiped away the tears on Li Xiangjun's face.
Seeing that Liang Xiaoming had found a place, Liu Ye turned his attention back to the others. He smiled and said to Xu Hongji, "Duke Wei, there are three more young ladies here. Why don't you choose one?"
Xu Hongji's eyes darted around, and he pointed at Liu Rushi and said, "How about I choose Miss Liu and let Miss Dong accompany you? If that's not enough, we can add Hengbo, so that two women can serve one person, how about that?" He also noticed that Dong Xiaowan and Liu Ye knew each other, so he took the opportunity to help them get together.
Gu Hengbo smiled apologetically, "Hengbo is a few years older than the younger sisters and is already old. How can I compare to their youthful beauty? Duke Wei, please don't tease me."
Xu Hongji bulged his eyes and feigned anger, saying, "Are you saying I have no taste? You're only in your early twenties, and you dare to call me 'old'? Go and serve the Earl of Pingnan properly with Miss Dong."
Seeing that Liu Ye didn't object, Gu Hengbo said, "If the Earl of Pingnan doesn't mind, Hengbo will pour you some wine." Then she pulled the silent Dong Xiaowan to sit on either side of Liu Ye. Liu Ye smiled and gestured for Gu Hengbo to pour him some wine, but didn't deliberately look at Dong Xiaowan. Dong Xiaowan felt awkward and embarrassed, and could only sit there blankly.
Shimazu Chiyo sat silently behind Liu Ye, her eyes fixed on Dong Xiaowan and Gu Hengbo, observing their every move.
Seeing this scene, Liu Rushi knew she couldn't leave, but she was not willing to serve Liu Ye, this arrogant and rude warrior, with servility. She gritted her teeth and asked in a low voice, "Would it be alright if I changed into women's clothing and then come back to keep you company?"
Liu Ye remained noncommittal, but Xu Hongji's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand, saying, "That's great, go quickly." He didn't want a "man" sitting next to him drinking with him; he had no homosexual tendencies and didn't like women dressed as men.
Liu Rushi hurriedly went downstairs. Under the distant gaze of the Japanese samurai and soldiers, she took out a set of clothes from her sedan chair, pretended to tidy them up, and then whispered to the sedan chair bearers, "Quickly go to the Fushe Society and inform Chen Wuzi, Hou Chaozong, and other gentlemen that Li Xiangjun, Dong Xiaowan, and I have been trapped in Meilou by villains. Tell them to encourage scholars to come and rescue us." After saying this, she tore off a jade pendant and quietly stuffed it into the sedan chair bearers' hands as payment.
Chen Wuzi was Chen Zilong, a member of the Fushe Society, who was also present during the assassination attempt. He and Liu Rushi often exchanged poems, and over time, they developed feelings for each other, almost taking her as a concubine. However, this was thwarted by the strong opposition of Liu Rushi's first wife, Zhang. Hou Chaozong was Hou Fangyu, who fell in love with Li Xiangjun at first sight. They had long ago made a secret vow that one would marry no one but him, and the other would not marry anyone but her. In the heat of the moment, these two men, and the Fushe Society behind them, were the most reliable people Liu Rushi could think of to seek help from.
The sedan bearers clutched the pendant to their robes and hurriedly carried the sedan chair away. Liu Rushi, holding her clothes, tidied a stray lock of hair, took a deep breath, and went back upstairs.
After she found an empty room, changed into women's clothing, and returned to the private room, she found that Li Xiangjun had already begun playing the pipa and singing opera. The opera she herself was famous for was "The Story of the Pipa." Although Li Xiangjun's singing was as melodious and pleasant as ever, and her words were as clear as pearls falling on a plate, and her pipa playing was also smooth and flowing, there was not a trace of a smile on her face.
Liu Ye wasn't particularly interested in traditional opera; he simply used it as background music, toasting each other across the table with Xu Hongji and drinking happily. Only Liang Xiaoming stared intently at Li Xiangjun, as if he could never get enough of her.
Liu Rushi sat down beside the Duke of Wei, her heart filled with bitterness. This job of serving wine was something only newcomers or aging prostitutes did. She, Dong, Li, and the others usually only needed to compose poems, write calligraphy, and sing softly, enjoying the attention and adulation of everyone around them. Now, however, they had been reduced to this state. This Duke of Pingnan was truly ignorant. Any one of them would be a courtesan admired by everyone elsewhere, yet he ordered several people to serve wine and entertainment. It was truly a waste of talent and resources.