A, CS Chapter 3

Chapter 3: To Receive Patrons[mfn]When prostitutes receives patrons (jiē kè)[/mfn] 

Tonight there was no rain, and the sky was full of starlight outside the window. Although it looked bright, it couldn’t help but make people feel flustered.
Even the fragrance of the flowers in the courtyard smelled bitter.

Tang Wu returned to her Yunxiang Pavilion, lay on the couch, her eyes vacant, recalling the words Lian Shiyin had just said.
What a great saying, ‘one’s life is not one’s own, and one’s death is not one’s own.’
Could it be that when she was born, God had already written a tragic storybook for her life?

Tang Wu considered herself to have never done anything evil, nor had she ever prayed to the gods, but only this time, she picked up the prayer beads on her wrist that she had never believed in before. Imitating how Yuniang usually did it, she recited two phrases in an extremely slow voice, “Namo Amitabha.”

But heaven did not grant her wish, and early the next morning, Tang Wu’s beautiful dream was shattered.
The noon sun had not yet risen when she heard Gu Jiuniang repeatedly saying, “Count.”
Even Gu Jiuniang herself didn’t expect that the Count of Cheng’an would actually fulfill yesterday’s promise and personally send over another “gift money.”
Today’s gift money could be said to be not an exaggeration.

In other words, this “gift money” was exactly what Gu Jiuniang had been hoping for.
For the coming-of-age banquet Gu Jiuniang held, others would only think that this woman was quite ambitious, but only Gu Jiuniang knew in her heart that she had only one goal, she wanted to send Tang Wu into the inner chambers of a powerful figure in the court.

And today, the Count of Cheng’an’s “gift money” was a key that could make Tang Wu a proper concubine.
The Count of Cheng’an looked at Gu Jiuniang’s flattering appearance. He kept a smile on his face, but his heart was the exact opposite.

He originally thought this old procuress would have some extraordinary insight, but now it seemed she was just someone who could be appeased with a couple of casual promises.

The Count of Cheng’an raised an eyebrow, “Then when is the madam planning to bring Miss Tang over?”
Gu Jiuniang blinked, lifted her handkerchief with her left hand, covered her mouth, and said with a coquettish smile, “You’re joking, my lord. It’s her good fortune that you think highly of Wu’er. Jiuniang also wants to bring her to you quickly, but today… I’m afraid it’s really inconvenient.”

The Count of Cheng’an said eagerly, “What’s the inconvenience?”

“It’s all because that girl Wu’er was gluttonous last night and ate too many grapes. Her face is a bit swollen today. But if the Earl truly wants to see her today, why not listen to me and try a different method?”

Upon hearing this, the smile on the Count of Cheng’an’s face instantly froze. He was all too familiar with the tricks of these flower alleys, and he was fed up with their insatiable greed!
Seeing the anger written all over the Count of Cheng’an’s face, Gu Jiuniang quickly stood on her tiptoes and whispered an explanation in his ear.

Sure enough, as soon as she said those words, the Count of Cheng’an’s originally ashen face instantly changed color.
How could Gu Jiuniang not know the Count of Cheng’an’s preferences?
What he loved most was a woman’s fair, jade-like feet.

Gu Jiuniang arranged for the Count of Cheng’an to be in the side hall and then turned to quickly have Ning Zhi bring Tang Wu over.
The matter had occurred so suddenly that she could only resort to the worst plan.
Tang Wu put on a veil and was led by Gu Jiuniang to a screen.

The screen was inlaid with Gu Jiuniang’s favorite painting, “Southwest Mountain Dwelling,” by the famous capital painter Su Lai.
But when did this painting get a fist-sized hole?
And behind this hole, Tang Wu could vaguely see a man’s… waist sash?
Feeling a sense of unease, Tang Wu was about to speak when Gu Jiuniang pressed down on her shoulder.

Gu Jiuniang leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Remember, no matter what happens in a bit, try not to make a sound. And don’t lift this screen. If you really can’t bear it, just call out to me.”
Gu Jiuniang looked at the terrified Tang Wu. It would be a lie to say she didn’t feel sorry for her. But Tang Wu was to her like a lamb she had raised for a long time.

When it was time for the first month, there was no reason to be reluctant to slaughter it.
So she gave a look to Ning Zhi, who was on the side, and quietly left the room.
When Ning Zhi saw that Tang Wu had sat down, she began to take off her shoes and socks without any explanation…

Tang Wu’s heart was pounding, and the hand gripping the armrest was tightening little by little.
Although Tang Wu had never received a customer, she understood what this meant. So, she did not resist, nor did she make a single sound…
She looked down at the exquisite bronze basin by her feet. Reflected in the water were her widened pupils hidden behind the veil.

Her vermilion lips trembled slightly, as if she were asking herself, “You knew this day would come, didn’t you?”
After an extremely long moment, when Ning Zhi had tidied up, she lifted one of Tang Wu’s jade-like feet through the hole in the screen.

This action… was completely different from what Tang Wu had imagined.

This kind of unknown fear truly made her tremble.
She looked imploringly at Sister Ning Zhi, but Ning Zhi couldn’t help her at all and could only whisper in her ear, “Wu’er, just bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”

Tang Wu’s hands couldn’t stop trembling. She didn’t know what the person sitting opposite her was going to do… She only felt the airflow on her toes, which was very much like breathing.

Tang Wu became more and more afraid, and she couldn’t help but pull her fair, jade-like foot back. But unexpectedly, with this movement, a pair of rough, calloused hands directly grasped the sole of her foot.

At this moment, she was like a rabbit in the forest being targeted by a tiger, snatched by a beast, with life and death hanging in the balance.
In this moment, she had long forgotten what Jiuniang had instructed her. She turned her head and grabbed Ning Zhi’s sleeve, finally shedding tears, “Sister Ning Zhi, save me, Wu’er is scared.”

Tang Wu’s voice was soft, and when this soft tone was tinged with a sob, it had a different kind of flavor.
The large hand behind the screen kept rubbing the sole of her foot. It was so tingling and itchy that she really couldn’t bear it.

She waited for a moment, and seeing that Gu Jiuniang wasn’t coming in, she wiped away a tear and recklessly shook off the person’s grip.
In the midst of the pushing and pulling, even the tea that had been prepared on the table shattered all over the floor.

The room was already in a mess.

At this moment, Gu Jiuniang pushed open the door and saw Tang Wu barefoot, squatting on the ground, gasping for air, looking very disheveled.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly went around the screen to apologize to the person.
She was frowning, not yet knowing how to begin, when she saw the Count of Cheng’an suddenly stand up and applaud with a loud laugh.

“Madam, I was originally suspicious that you were just putting on a show in the capital, but today I’ve seen that the news you spread was actually quite modest!”
With this tone, anyone could see that the Count of Cheng’an was ecstatic and had no intention of blaming her at all.
Gu Jiuniang steadied herself and, seizing the perfect opportunity, quickly said, “What are you saying, my lord? This girl has truly been spoiled by me. She’s very timid. I’ve made you a fool of yourself.”

The Count of Cheng’an continued, “Madam, you don’t need to be so formal. She’s already excellent this way! If a woman like this enters my Count of Cheng’an’s residence, I will naturally provide her with fine clothes and good food and not let her suffer any grievances.”

After speaking, he laughed several more times.
But this sound landed like a needle, and when it reached Tang Wu’s ears, it was as piercing as it could be.
After this experience, Tang Wu found it even more difficult to fall asleep.
It was as if every time she closed her eyes, she could see a pot-bellied man laughing heartily at her.

The next day, Tang Wu, as usual, started singing early in the morning under Gu Jiuniang’s gaze, performing four or five songs in a row.
After finishing the last song, “Moon Over the Bell Tower,” she slightly bowed her head, waiting for judgment.

Gu Jiuniang had been listening to the music with her eyes half-closed, but as she listened, she couldn’t help but frown deeper and deeper.
Every song had a mistake, which was clearly intentional.
“Are you deliberately trying to go against me?” Gu Jiuniang said.

Tang Wu looked up and met Gu Jiuniang’s eyes, not answering, but just letting her see her reddened eyes.
Look, in just one day, this little face had become a size thinner. It was to the point where she couldn’t even be punished!
Gu Jiuniang suppressed her anger and let out a long sigh, “Wu’er, how many times do I have to tell you before you’ll be obedient? That Count of Cheng’an may seem debauched, but you also have to understand that he is a member of the imperial family. If a girl from an ordinary family wanted to get close to him, she would probably have to put in a lot of effort. Over the years, I’ve taught you to sing, Yuniang taught you to dance, and you’ve not fallen behind in any of the four arts of the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Now, with your skills, even if you go to his residence, there will be nothing to fear!”

Ordinarily, Tang Wu was not a woman who cried easily, but today, listening to Gu Jiuniang’s words, her tears flowed down her face uncontrollably…
To be fair, her pathetic little appearance was truly a gentle, but sharp, knife.
But this gentle knife was useless against Gu Jiuniang’s golden shield.

After all, Gu Jiuniang had already received the Count of Cheng’an’s gift money, and without any other complications, this matter was as good as set in stone.
People may not be able to enjoy blessings, but they can endure any suffering. Gu Jiuniang felt the same was true for Tang Wu, whether it was despair or unwillingness.

Resignation was only a matter of time.

“Thump, thump, thump!” A series of urgent knocks suddenly came from outside the door.
There were many rules at the Junmeng Garden, and knocking was one of them. Normally, for morning greetings, the knocks were spaced out, and for delivering a message, it was a single knock. But there was only one reason for a continuous series of knocks like this.

Something big had happened.

Gu Jiuniang made a gesture to Tang Wu to stay silent, then quickly walked toward the door.
When the door opened, she saw Ning Zhi’s trembling hand tightly clutching a token.
“Ji… Jiuniang, this… this…”

Seeing that she couldn’t speak clearly, Gu Jiuniang reached out and snatched the token directly from her hand.
Once she had it, even the well-informed Gu Jiuniang couldn’t help but be shocked by the token.
“Ning Zhi, the person who sent this token, did you see them clearly?” Gu Jiuniang said loudly.

Ning Zhi knelt on the ground with a thud and quickly handed Gu Jiuniang another piece of paper.
At this moment, Gu Jiuniang’s heart was in her throat.
Even she couldn’t believe it; she had actually received a token engraved with the character “Song.”
The character “Song” was the surname of the royal family.

She knew very well who could use this surname.
After a moment, Gu Jiuniang looked back at Tang Wu and said, word for word, “I didn’t expect you to have such good fortune.”

Immediately after, she said to Ning Zhi, “You, quickly get the list from the storeroom and have the people downstairs notify each household that the coming-of-age banquet has been postponed.”
Gu Jiuniang thought that if she truly gained the favor of a noble person, from now on, the rules of this alley would be set by her.