Her protection
Her words were gentle, but they sent shivers down the listener’s spine. The woman lowered her head, afraid to ask any further.
The feuds of noble families were beyond the understanding of a woman like her, who was just a commoner. She knew to keep her mouth shut and be grateful for simply staying alive.
The sound of shattering porcelain did not attract the attention of these debauched dandies. Holding the beauties close, they continued to exchange toasts and cups. Soon, they reached the point of drunken revelry, with laughter and chatter becoming even more unrestrained.
“Brother Wei, have you set the auspicious wedding date yet?” asked the man in black.
Wei Yanei, now drunk with flushed cheeks, sporting a pair of red hot springs, chuckled, “Mid-summer in the lunar calendar.”
“That means there won’t be many days left?” the others were extremely surprised.
“This is the Emperor’s intention. I just need to follow along, it’s just taking a wife after all. It won’t hinder our future pursuits of pleasure,” Wei Yanei picked up the wine pot, weighing it in his hand. “Bring more wine.”
“Why do I feel like the bamboo-leaf green today is more intoxicating than usual?” Wei Yanei shook his head, feeling puzzled.
“It shouldn’t be, I find it no different from usual,” said the man in black, taking a sniff of his wine and then finishing it in one gulp.
Taking advantage of the wine jug being changed, Wei Yanei, now feeling the effects of the alcohol, began to make advances towards the woman next to him. The woman in pink tried to resist but was firmly held by him.
“The girls here are much better, more considerate than that Ye surname girl,” Wei Yanei laughed, reaching out to grab the woman’s waist.
He was rough, causing the woman to cry out in pain. However, under Wei Yanei’s gaze, she swallowed her displeasure and forced a smile as she leaned into him.
“It’s you today, an old acquaintance,” Wei Yanei swayed his head, signaling to the other dandies, and they joked around before each taking a girl away.
Weaving unsteadily, Wei Yanei pulled the woman in pink by her hair, messing up her carefully arranged hairstyle with a forceful tug. Ignoring her pain, he then threw her onto a nearby soft bed.
“Today, I’ll teach you a lesson, little lady.” Wei Yanei abandoned his usual clean appearance, laughing suggestively, he pulled at her clothes before unceremoniously dragging her off the bed, causing her to fall heavily to the ground.
The woman in pink showed a hint of fear on her face, but could only grit her teeth and endure, watching as Wei Yanei began unfastening his belt.
As he continued to undo it, suddenly he rolled his eyes and fell with a bang onto the square table behind him, causing the tableware and wine jug on the table to fall down with a crash. After the clattering noise subsided, he lay unconscious in the flowing liquor and soft pastries.
The woman in pink, who had been tense, finally relaxed her body, gasping for breath with her knees hugged to her chest, then reached out and knocked on the wall of the elegant pavilion.
Footsteps could be heard from the next room, and shortly after, the door here was opened, with Ci Ke still wrapped in a long cloak entering. Upon seeing the scene before her, she furrowed her brow in disgust.
She walked slowly around the clutter on the floor, approached the woman in pink, crouched down, and straightened her clothes.
Her movements were gentle, with her eyelashes hanging low, a faint indigo tint on her eyelashes giving her a touch of liveliness.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly, placing her hand on the woman’s waist.
Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes as she nodded, then shook her head, causing the tears to mingle with the thick makeup on her face.
“Thank you, miss,” she whispered.
“Hey,” an older woman who had been with Ci Ke earlier entered, firmly closing the door behind her. “Wei Yanei always manages to stir up quite a commotion whenever he shows up. If not for the noise just now, who knows how many people would have been alarmed.”
Ci Ke stood up, bowing her head to look at the limp figure of Wei Yanei, her eyes narrowed.
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“Ah Mu, did he lay hands on you again?” The woman noticed the woman sitting on the floor in one glance, quickly approaching to lift her up forcefully and unbutton her clothes to examine her.
As the thin fabric was pulled apart, Ci Ke’s movements faltered. She saw that the woman’s once fair and tender skin was covered with bruises and scars, some clearly from whipping, and there were even burn marks in some places, truly shocking to behold.
“Sister Rong…” Ah Mu looked extremely fearful as she quickly closed her clothes, her voice barely audible, shrinking into a corner.
“These are all his doing?” Ci Ke’s voice was smooth, her cloak sweeping over the ground, stirring up dust.
“Exactly!” The woman known as Sister Rong spat towards Wei Yanei, taking out some medicine from her bosom and placing it in Ah Mu’s palm. She chattered away, “This man has a notorious quirk in our building. All the girls tremble in fear at the mention of him. Once they are involved with him, they will definitely end up wounded, which is truly despicable. Besides, he also bullies and oppresses others with his power.”
“Just recently, Ah Mu, who has only been sold here for a year, started serving clients. Because she is obedient, this man has targeted her. No one else dares to intervene, so she bears the torment alone, suffering countless injuries.”
“At first, I tried to shield her from exposure, but this man persisted. He would use his power to pressure us. We were all sold here, and disobedience resulted in beatings.”
“If this continues, her life may be in danger. It’s truly pitiful.” The woman who painted her face wiped her tears, lifting Ah Mu up in a hurry.
Ci Ke’s disdain in her eyes grew even stronger.
“Now that people are fewer, let’s act later when it’s late at night,” Ci Ke whispered.
The ugly hours had passed, it was the quietest time of the day, with the pleasure-seeking people already in a dream-like state and the hardworking early risers still asleep. The streets of Bianjing were shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by the lanterns hanging from the eaves, flickering with fading flames.
Three women with their faces veiled slipped out of the flower streets and willow alleys (red-light district), walking slowly in the night, carrying a long package in their hands, unnoticed by anyone.
Soon, the three arrived at the Imperial Street leading to the Imperial City and threw the package down. The package turned out to be a quilt, with one corner pulled out to reveal a naked man, unconscious with his face up.
“Phew, despicable scum.” The woman spat harshly and kicked the face of Wei Yanei, causing his nose to bleed profusely.
“The day is getting late, take the silver banknotes and leave quickly,” Ci Ke said, untying two bulging purses from her waist and handing them to the two women. “The silver inside these bags is enough for you and your sister to leave the capital city, never worrying about food and clothing for the rest of your lives. If you wish, you can also start a business to sustain yourselves.”
The women carefully took the purses, whispering, “Miss, your great kindness, we have nothing to repay it.”
With that, they tried to kneel down, but Ci Ke stopped them.
“It’s alright, you have also helped me,” Ci Ke said softly, exerting force to lift the two women up. “After you leave, I will redeem you from the situation, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” the woman said finally, pulling Ah Mu with her as they left the city under the cover of night.
On the long street, soon only Ci Ke remained, looking down at Wei Yanei, lost in thought.
After a while, she turned around and, under the sparse stars in the brightening sky, disappeared into the Imperial City.
Time passed slowly, the proud sun emerged from the mountains, illuminating the lush green earth. The dark night quickly melted away, transforming into a bright and clear morning.
Ye Youqing had slept extremely well, feeling light and refreshed when she opened her eyes.
The lively events from the previous night were vivid in her mind. She gazed at the clean roof for a moment, recalling with a smile before getting up from bed.
Qin Xin timely knocked on the door and entered, bringing over the washing tools and tea.
“Eldest Miss, just now the Empress Dowager sent a message, inviting our Madam and the Eldest Miss to have tea. It should be to discuss the matter of marriage,” Qin Xin said.
“The Empress Dowager?” Ye Youqing paused in her actions.
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“Yes, it is said that Wei Yanei was fostered by the Empress Dowager for a period in his childhood. The Empress Dowager cares deeply for him, hence she is very concerned about the marriage between the Eldest Miss and Wei Yanei.”
“Has the person already left?” Ye Youqing inquired.
“Yes. Who would dare to refuse the Empress Dowager’s invitation? Our Madam wanted me to inform Eldest Miss, fearing you might worry,” Qin Xin poured out the mouthwash tea, then brought over a bowl of clear congee. “Have a little something to eat, and then you can have your breakfast later.”
“No need, I’m not hungry.” Ye Youqing quickly finished the congee and then got out of bed to change.
A few days ago, she had inquired with Shi Li about an important matter, and she had asked her to meet her today, saying the matter had been taken care of. Naturally, she was feeling a bit impatient.
She hastily dressed in a deep blue dress with a white undershirt, the sleeves revealing a glimpse of snow-white, dazzling to the eye, before heading out alone.
The Imperial Street seemed even busier than usual today, especially at the tea houses where people gathered for morning tea. It was as if everyone under the sun was there, looking excited and animated, with loud chatter filling the air, yet she couldn’t quite make out what they were all so excited about.
Ye Youqing felt something was off, so she looked around. The street was as clean as usual, with remnants of last night’s flower lanterns from the nearby pagoda trees, nothing out of the ordinary.
Occasionally, she passed by a few sons of officials who recognized her, their gazes lingering on her before shaking their heads with a sigh and hastening away.
She wanted to stop one of them and ask, but they ran off quickly, disappearing without a trace. Ye Youqing had no choice but to give up.
She made her way into Jinlingzhai, where the sight of the crowded common people startled her.
Although Jinlingzhai was usually bustling with business, it had never been this lively before, with everyone gathered around one person, passionately discussing a specific topic with flying spittle.
“Eldest Miss!” Ah Gou appeared in front of Ye Youqing with a bowl of soup noodles, his smile faltering for a moment. He seemed to struggle to speak, but finally said, “Miss Shi Li will be coming down soon. Please have a seat first.”
“Ah Gou, has something happened today?” Ye Youqing asked, puzzled.
“Well…” Ah Gou hesitated, his face gradually turning as red as a persimmon. He set down the soup noodles and ran off, saying, “I can’t talk about this kind of thing. Please ask Shi Li about it, Eldest Miss.”
Watching Ah Gou’s panicked retreat, Ye Youqing became even more confused. She scratched her head, then looked up to see Shi Li in black attire, looking spirited as she walked down the steps.
“So early?” Shi Li exclaimed in surprise, striding over to her side. “Come, I’ll take you to meet a few people. They should be able to help you.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Youqing nodded eagerly and walked out of Jinlingzhai with Shi Li, leaving behind the strange occurrences from earlier.
The two walked in silence, Shi Li leading her out of the bustling Imperial Street towards the outskirts of the city. They passed through several alleys, where the crowds gradually thinned out, and luxurious attire became rare.
After a while, the houses appeared noticeably more dilapidated, covered in moss. Sparse ox and horse carts parked along the narrow alleys emitted strong smells of blood and filth.
Ye Youqing couldn’t help but glance at Shi Li.
“Don’t worry, it’s not some shady business like murder or smuggling,” Shi Li reassured her, hands behind her back. She then pointed to a courtyard beside them. “Here we are.”
Ye Youqing was skeptical about this, so she walked towards the courtyard to take a look inside. She saw dried bloodstains covering the ground, the stench making her head spin. In the corner of the stable, there were no horses, but instead, there were piles of red meat and blood-stained fragments.
Ye Youqing took a step back, hiding behind Shi Li.
“Master, I need reliable help, not killers,” she coughed, trying to sound calm.
“Ma Da!” Shi Li ignored her, suddenly shouting into the courtyard. Soon after, a burly man covered in blood, holding something in his hand, joyfully ran out.
“Young Escort Head!” The man’s face was full of muscles, and when he smiled, the muscles seemed to stack on top of each other.
Ye Youqing took a step back.
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“Young Escort Head, I haven’t seen you in a long time!” The man was very happy, waving the hand holding something in front of him, spilling fresh blood all over the ground.
Ye Youqing finally saw what that something was – a pig’s head with its eyes closed. It turned out that this man was a butcher!
Upon learning this, she felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders.
“Who is this…” Ma Da looked towards Ye Youqing beside him, his large body shrinking as he hid the pig’s head behind him.
“Miss Ye I mentioned before.” Shi Li lazily said.
“Ma Da has seen Miss Ye.” The man hid the pig’s head even deeper, looking somewhat awkward. “Miss Ye, although we are rough people, we have heard some rumors. Please accept our condolences.”
“What condolences?” Ye Youqing remembered the strangeness she had forgotten, furrowing her brows and asking.
Shi Li was on the verge of speaking, but then Ma Da quickly interjected in a rough voice, shouting, “Miss, don’t you know? The nobleman who was betrothed to you, Wei Yanei, got drunk last night at the brothel and ended up stark naked and drunk on the street for about an hour before Wei Yanei’s men wrapped him in a robe and carried him back home!”
Ye Youqing was utterly shocked, her eyes widening.
“And, according to the merchant who found him, that bastard did something dirty and got his private part messed up by someone!”
