Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 47
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place1
Ransoming a Person
After being brought back to the Marquis Manor by her great-grandmother and becoming part of the direct line again, Su Yi no longer had to worry about buying a residence, nor did she need to fear anyone making a rash move against her.
Just as she let her heart settle back into her chest, before she even had a chance to catch her breath, Yan Can brought her a name card2 that evening.
The sender was said to be an attendant from some tavern, waiting at the Marquis Manor gate for her reply.
She curiously opened the card and saw written upon it that she was to bring five hundred taels of silver to Yi Yun Lou3 to ransom someone.
Su Yi raised an eyebrow. This extortionist was quite something, huh, actually trying to extort her. “Everyone in our household is safe and sound within the manor. Where would this person to be ransomed come from?”
She made a motion to tear the thing up, but Shaoyao, who was serving beside her, was very observant and reminded her, “Wait, Miss, we haven’t seen Miss Feng for a long time.”
Come to think of it, that was true. Quite a few days had passed since Su Yi was driven out after having cold water thrown on her, and they hadn’t seen Feng Ruoqing at all.
Since she often went out to gather herbs and wouldn’t return for several days, Su Yi and the others were used to it and assumed it was the same this time.
Yan Can frowned, “It couldn’t… be? Miss Feng is a doctor. How could she be held for ransom for no reason?”
Su Yi held the name card, half-believing and half-doubting. “It’s better to believe it might be true than to assume it isn’t4. Let’s go take a look first.”
So, she had one thousand taels of silver prepared. When they reached the Marquis Manor gate, sure enough, a young woman dressed as a female attendant5 was pacing back and forth.
Seeing them come out, she hurried forward to curtsy, “Greetings, Miss.”
Su Yi asked her, “Are you the female attendant from that Yi Yun Lou?”
“Yes. Our proprietress asked me to deliver the card.”
“Thank you for coming all this way.” Su Yi nodded to her and had Yan Can give her one hundred wen as a reward.
The female attendant quickly kowtowed in thanks, but Su Yi stopped her. “No need. First, tell me, the person your proprietress wants me to ransom—how are they dressed? What are their features?”
“That woman seems to be a doctor, slightly taller than Miss, quite pretty, and always carries a medical box.”
Hearing her description, it was undoubtedly Feng Ruoqing.
How could Feng Ruoqing suddenly need ransoming?
Su Yi was completely bewildered, but for Feng Ruoqing’s safety, she still called for a sedan chair to be prepared and had the female attendant lead the way.
After walking for quite some time, the female attendant in front said they had arrived. Su Yi was helped out of the sedan chair.
Many people were coming and going, mostly women. There were occasional men, and upon seeing Su Yi’s appearance, they seemed curious and all looked her way. One man became so mesmerized looking at her that he didn’t even notice the path beneath his feet and stumbled. His young servant quickly helped him up, and the two hurried inside.
Su Yi was used to being looked at—it wasn’t the first day or two—so she didn’t mind. She looked up, observing the tavern before her.
The decoration was extremely luxurious: paulownia wood6 pillars, green tiled roofs, a full five stories high. Each floor was built in a pavilion style, adorned with chiwen7 on the roof ridges. At the corners of each floor’s eaves hung decorations made of rhinoceros horn and wind chimes. There were no guardian lions flanking the entrance, but a large plaque hung above the door, inscribed with the characters “Yi Yun Lou” in flamboyant, dancing script8.
Its grandeur almost rivaled that of the Pingyang Marquis Manor.
Su Yi found it strange. “When did such a grand tavern open in the capital? I haven’t even heard of it.”
If Gancao were here, she would definitely say, “Miss, this is the tavern you asked me to gather gossip9 about while you were recovering—the one they say children shouldn’t go near.”
However, because Gancao was young, Su Yi rarely brought her along for evening outings. Thus, none of the people accompanying her knew when this tavern had been built.
Seeing that it was getting late, the female attendant urged them, “Miss, our proprietress is inside. Let me lead you in.”
“Oh, alright.” Su Yi tightened the fox-fur cloak around her shoulders and followed her inside.
The outer area was already crowded. Upon entering the first floor, they found even more people, but without exception, they were all women.
Some of the women were dressed ordinarily, like those seen walking on the streets. However, the remaining portion wore rather revealing, light dresses, exposing the snowy white skin of their chests, backs, and necks.
Seeing their attire, Su Yi shivered involuntarily, thinking to herself that these women truly lived up to the reputation of the indomitable women of Yanxue Kingdom—wearing so little in such cold weather was truly admirable.
She sighed inwardly as she walked further in, but the more she walked, the more something felt off.
How could the customs of Yanxue Kingdom be this open? Could interactions between ‘sisters’ already be this intimate?
Just as she watched a woman dressed as a merchant withdraw her hand from the chest of another scantily clad woman, Su Yi’s mind jolted. She suddenly understood what kind of place this was.
She quickly had someone stop the female attendant. “Wait, what exactly is this tavern? Are you a proper place that sells liquor?”
“Of course, we are a proper place that sells liquor.” A charming voice drifted from nearby. Su Yi looked up and saw a woman wearing only a red gauze dress descending the stairs from the second floor, step by step, her every glance captivating10, possessing myriad charms11. “However, whether it’s proper or not, doesn’t that depend on the guest?”
As she spoke, she had already reached Su Yi. Extending a slender finger, she gently poked Su Yi’s chest. Her red lips curved into a smile, “Miss, wouldn’t you say I12 am right?”
Su Yi glanced up and down at the thin gauze dress she wore. Honestly, she wanted to ask, “Big Sis, aren’t you cold? The snow outside hasn’t even melted.”
But since it was their first meeting, she couldn’t be impolite. So, she could only nod. “Ahem… Whatever the lady says, goes. Might I ask who the lady is?”
The woman giggled charmingly. “My name is Hua Ying13. I am the proprietress of this Yi Yun Lou. If Miss likes, you may also call me ‘sweetheart’.”
Having been subjected daily to Ji Qingchi’s cloying words, Su Yi had already developed a strong heart. Facing someone whose skill in being overly affectionate was no less than Ji Qingchi’s, she remained unmoved.
Hearing her identify herself as the proprietress, Su Yi quickly produced the name card. “Was it Miss Hua who had someone send this card to me? My friend, where is she?”
“Ah, so Miss is the recently famous Nineteenth Miss of the Su family.” Hua Ying glanced at the name card in her hand, dropped her flirtatious demeanor, and let her gaze circle Su Yi a few times before smiling. “So that doctor lady is Miss Su’s friend. My apologies. She is resting in the rear courtyard. Please, Miss Su, take a seat in an upper room on the third floor for a moment. I will immediately have someone bring her over to meet you.”
Seeing her speak in a proper, businesslike tone, Su Yi guessed she was likely telling the truth and nodded. “Then, many thanks to Miss Hua.”
“You’re welcome.” Hua Ying smiled and beckoned two modestly dressed women over. “Take Miss Su to the third floor.”
“Yes.”
These two women also appeared quite proper. Su Yi felt relieved and obediently followed them upstairs.
In a private room on the fourth floor.
The Seventh Imperial Daughter shifted her shoulders uncomfortably, trying to extricate herself from the embrace of the woman beside her. Before she could move even a little, the woman immediately snuggled into her arms pitifully, “Guest, was my service unsatisfactory?”
Help me.
The Seventh Imperial Daughter was about to cry. She had never been this intimate even with her own sisters, yet coming to this Yi Yun Lou, she had to be this close with so many women.
She cast a pleading look towards her imperial sisters across from her, only to find that the Third Imperial Sister and Ninth Imperial Sister were even more reserved than she was. The Third Imperial Sister was doing slightly better, managing to stiffly hold a woman, but the Ninth Imperial Sister had practically shrunk into a ball. Yet, because she was beautiful, seven or eight women surrounded her, making her seem even more constrained by comparison.
The only one who could save them, the Second Imperial Daughter, lay back comfortably in her chair, enjoying the intimate feeding from women on both sides. She chuckled, “Little Seven, you said you were scared of all those men at the flower viewing party. Now that it’s all women here, surely you’re not still scared?”
She wasn’t scared, but only of the women from Yanxue Kingdom, alright?
The women from Huachen Kingdom and Dongli Kingdom in this Yi Yun Lou were terrifying! They were all women, yet they could go to such lengths. It was truly incredible.
Putting aside their fondness for clinging to people, the Seventh Imperial Daughter actually held considerable admiration for the women from Huachen and Dongli countries in this establishment.
According to the Capital Guard, many of the women serving here actually had husbands and children. They had abandoned their husbands and children to come to such a distant country, enduring things many Yanxue Kingdom women couldn’t tolerate. They earned money and then went through great trouble to send it back to their own countries for their husbands and children, supporting them to achieve success and prominence14. It was truly a display of immense dedication.
“Little Seven, Little Nine, relax a bit.” The Second Imperial Daughter smiled and pinched the chest of the woman beside her, earning a coquettish cry in return. She then looked at her two younger sisters with deeper meaning in her voice, “Don’t forget we came here on official business.”
Four months ago, the Capital Guard reported that such a tavern had opened in the capital. At the time, it didn’t attract anyone’s attention. Female establishments15—well, the capital did have one or two, though none were large-scale. After all, with so many women, there were bound to be some with a taste for female companionship.
However, after this tavern had been operating for a month, its business grew increasingly prosperous, gradually becoming the largest female establishment in all of Yanxue Kingdom.
Upon closer investigation, it was found that the women in this place were all from the countries of Dongli and Huachen, seeking a livelihood.
It turned out that women from Huachen and Dongli were often gentle as water and exceptionally understanding. Compared to the women, and even the men, of Yanxue Kingdom, they possessed an added submissiveness and compliance. The immense sense of conquest and satisfaction derived from this easily made people infatuated with them.
A female establishment doing big business wasn’t really an issue. They paid higher taxes than ordinary taverns, which was beneficial, not harmful, to Yanxue Kingdom. But precisely as the tavern’s business became increasingly prosperous, dozens of missing persons cases occurred each month in the capital city.
Initially, everyone thought it was a public security issue. However, after careful investigation, the Capital Guard discovered that the missing women all shared a common trait before their disappearance: they had all visited Yi Yun Lou. Furthermore, the families of missing infants had also mostly frequented Yi Yun Lou.
Thus, some began to suspect that Yi Yun Lou might be involved in human trafficking.
Nearly two hundred people had gone missing in just over four months, one of whom was the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. After the Capital Guard reported this, their Mother Emperor was furious. Trafficking happening right under the Son of Heaven’s nose16! She immediately ordered several of them, the Imperial Daughters, to investigate the case.
And so, at the suggestion of the Second Imperial Daughter, the group of them had appeared here.
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Footnotes
- 朝堂风云各自安 | Cháotáng fēngyún gèzì ān | “朝堂风云” refers to the unpredictable events and power struggles within the imperial court. “各自安” suggests each person finding their own place or peace amidst this.
- 名帖 | míngtiě | A calling card or formal note, often used for introductions, invitations, or messages.
- 怡云楼 | Yí Yún Lóu | Lit. “Pleasant Cloud Pavilion/Tower”.
- 宁可信其有, 不可信其无 | Nìngkě xìn qí yǒu, bùkě xìn qí wú | Lit. “Rather believe it exists, cannot believe it doesn’t”; Meaning: It’s better to err on the side of caution / believe something might be true just in case.
- 小二姐 | xiǎo èr jiě | “Xiao er” is a common term for a shop or tavern attendant; “jie” (sister) specifies female.
- 桐木 | tóngmù | A lightweight but strong wood often used in furniture and musical instruments.
- 螭吻 | chīwěn | A Chinese dragon figure, placed at either end of the roof ridge of traditional Chinese buildings, believed to protect against fire.
- 龙飞凤舞 | lóng fēi fèng wǔ | Lit. “dragon flies phoenix dances”; Describes bold, flamboyant calligraphy.
- 八卦 | bāguà | Originally meaning the “Eight Trigrams,” now commonly used as slang for “gossip.”
- 顾盼生姿 | gù pàn shēng zī | Lit. “glancing creates posture/charm”; Describes a captivating demeanor, full of expression with every glance.
- 风情万种 | fēngqíng wàn zhǒng | Lit. “ten thousand kinds of style/charm”; Describes someone possessing diverse and captivating allure or charm.
- 奴家 | nújiā | An archaic, often coquettish or self-deprecating first-person pronoun used by women.
- 花影 | Huā Yǐng | Lit. “Flower Shadow”.
- 出人头地 | chū rén tóu dì | Lit. “emerge above others’ heads”; To stand out from the crowd, achieve success and prominence.
- 女馆 | nǚguǎn | Lit. “women’s house/establishment”; In this context, refers to a place of entertainment catering specifically to female patrons, often with female attendants providing companionship or other services.
- 天子脚下 | Tiānzǐ jiǎo xià | Lit. “Under the feet of the Son of Heaven”; Refers to the capital city, close to the Emperor’s presence.
- 地图 | dìtú | Lit. “map”; In gaming or webnovel contexts, often refers to a new area, setting, or story arc.
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