Plan A
The Days and Nights of the Courtesan 2
Treading on Wild Geese
The demure maid walked in slowly, carrying the washing items, and attended to Su Xin’s grooming.
“Is there something Mother wants from me?”
Su Xin asked while wiping her face.
“Shujuan doesn’t know, but by the look on Mother’s face at the time, it should be something good.”
Shujuan shook her head and answered earnestly.
“Something that can make Mother happy…”
Su Xin let out a bitter smile, her eyes filled with sorrow.
“A girl as good as you will have a good future.”
Shujuan gave Su Xin a big smile.
“You little girl, your words are getting sweeter and sweeter.”
Su Xin reached out and tapped Shujuan’s forehead.
“Shujuan is telling the truth, miss. Let me do your hair and makeup.”
【The host is integrating very quickly. I am very pleased.】
Thank you for the compliment.
【Rewarding the host with one drop of ‘Crocodile’s Tears.’】
This doesn’t sound like a good thing.
【It allows the host to instantly have the ability to cry beautifully, with various crying styles to choose from, such as wailing, smiling with tears, etc.】
Okay, that’s quite powerful.
Su Xin accepted the reward. It sounded quite useful. She’s good at fighting and killing, but crying is a bit difficult for her. Years of training have made her cold-blooded.
The name of this body is Xue Yao, just a stage name. The real name has already been forgotten by the original owner.
The original owner was kidnapped and sold to this brothel by human traffickers when she was a child. Because of her good looks, she was noticed by the former madam and began to be groomed.
Because it was November when she arrived, and Yucheng was already covered in heavy snow, the former madam looked out the window while naming her and saw the snow being shaken off the branches. Thus, she was given the name Xue Yao.
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When the original owner was eleven, the former madam passed away from illness, leaving the brothel to a girl who had been there for a long time and was very steady. The original owner’s days became difficult.
The new madam, Ta Yan, was a very pragmatic and intelligent person. She thought the original owner was a promising seedling and began to train her harshly. The original owner’s days were no longer as smooth as before; she was exhausted from various exercises every day. To control her weight and maintain her figure, the madam even withheld her food.
“Miss, it’s done.”
Shujuan inserted a hairpin into Su Xin’s hair and gently stroked Su Xin’s dark hair.
“Our girl is the most beautiful. That Wan Yue person can’t compare.”
Shujuan looked at Su Xin’s profile with slight infatuation and spoke with some indignation.
This face was indeed extremely beautiful, alluring but not vulgar. Just standing there, she was a picturesque scene.
But no matter how beautiful, she was ultimately a courtesan.
“Always feel like Miss has changed a bit.”
Shujuan mumbled to herself, not lowering her voice.
Shujuan was a maid bought back by the original owner and had been following her for several years. Although they were master and servant, their ages were similar, and their relationship was more like that of sisters.
“Changed in what way?”
Su Xin put on a faint smile. The person in the bronze mirror had a delicate and graceful appearance. She concealed her sharp and bloody aura, making herself indistinguishable from the original owner.
“Can’t pinpoint it. Maybe it’s because Shujuan accidentally bumped the back of her head when she got up this morning, causing an illusion.”
Shujuan shook her head, watching Su Xin stand up.
“Where did you bump it? Let me see. How careless.”
Su Xin glared at Shujuan, walked closer, and lowered her head to look at the back of Shujuan’s head, reaching out to touch it.
Su Xin was half a head taller than Shujuan and easily enveloped her. Shujuan fell silent, letting Su Xin massage her head.
“No swelling, be more careful next time.”
“Got it, Miss. You should go find Mother now.”
Su Xin pushed open the door and didn’t see Shujuan kneeling on the cushion, her face blushing after Su Xin left.
Fourteen saw it, but it didn’t think it was related to the host’s task, so it didn’t notify Su Xin.
Su Xin maintained a ladylike posture as she walked to Mother Ta Yan’s door and knocked.
Master Fourteen, this is the slowest I’ve ever walked in my life.
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【Hmm, it’s okay. There will be many more times in the future.】
In modern times, Su Xin always walked quickly, even in high heels she could run fast, as she had trained for it. Sometimes it was required for her tasks. However, as a trained lady in ancient times, she had to maintain a ladylike and graceful pace. Ta Yan had very strict, even terrifying, requirements on how she walked. If she saw Su Xin walking in a hurry, she would definitely use a ruler to discipline her. Fortunately, this body had already developed muscle memory, making each step exceedingly precise.
“Mother, it’s Xue Yao.”
“Xue Yao, come in.”
Su Xin pushed open the door and saw Ta Yan lying on the beauty couch.
The current madam, who used to be a courtesan, naturally had an extraordinary appearance. Although she was in her thirties or forties, she still had the charm of a mature woman. A sense of soft allure seemed to emanate from her very bones, impossible to hide.
“Xue Yao, you are almost of age, right? I don’t need to remind you much; you know what I mean.”
Ta Yan got straight to the point, not wasting any time.
“Yes.”
Su Xin nodded obediently.
“I heard that you haven’t been in a good mood these past few days. Don’t overthink it. From the day you stepped through this door, you should have been mentally prepared. You are the girl I value the most. I hope that what you give me can live up to the training from me and Mother.”
The “Mother” in Ta Yan’s mouth referred to the previous madam.
Ta Yan’s calculations were sharp; Xue Yao was clearly a promising talent who could earn her a fortune. She was already thinking about the minimum silver price she could fetch on Xue Yao’s deflowering day.
“Mother, Xue Yao has something to discuss.”
Su Xin stared directly into Ta Yan’s eyes. Ta Yan raised an eyebrow and lifted her hand, signaling her to speak.
“I want to participate in the Four Kingdoms Banquet.”
Ta Yan’s face immediately darkened, and she abruptly sat up from the beauty couch, looking at Su Xin with a hint of anger.
“Say that again.”
“I want to participate in the Four Kingdoms Banquet.”
“Hmph, trying to avoid the deflowering, why use such an excuse? The Four Kingdoms Banquet, don’t even think about it.”
Ta Yan sneered.
The Four Kingdoms Banquet is an elegant gathering of the four kingdoms, where the emperors of the four countries gather, and scholars, literati, and strategists from various places attend. The singing girls who perform at the Four Kingdoms Banquet are the top courtesans selected from countless brothels across the four kingdoms.
This is one of the best ways for a courtesan to gain fame and rise in status.
The Four Kingdoms Banquet is held once every five years, and the performing courtesans are always different each time, with each kingdom sending four representatives.
This is essentially a soft competition, competing on the quality of the courtesans.
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Look, even our country’s courtesans possess wisdom and strategy, unparalleled beauty. Our country is also remarkable.
The courtesans who can attend the Four Kingdom’s Banquet are, of course, very formidable, and there’s a very important point: they must be virgins.
But how difficult is it for Su Xin to do this? It’s like a hostess from a third-tier city’s nightclub in modern times trying to compete for Miss World—remote and unattainable.
“I can.”
“Who gave you this confidence? Your looks are indeed outstanding, but how can you compare to those in the capital? Those competing for this spot are all heavily invested in. Do you think that without earning me money, I would subsidize you? Don’t be ignorant of your place, get out.”
Ta Yan’s eyes were gloomy as she waved Su Xin away.
Su Xin left swiftly, her gaze somber as she stepped out.
For many years, no one had dared to tell her to get out.
Su Xin’s eyes shifted, thinking of a way to make Ta Yan agree.