Proud Feather

Chapter 75 Beginning of the Line
Xianlelou is a famous music house in the capital.

When the emperor first ascended the throne, he issued a general amnesty, allowing a number of palace ladies to return home. At the same time, he dismissed a far greater number of musicians than normal, thus clearing up the chaos that had occurred during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Xiaozong.

As those musicians spread among the people, the theaters became more prosperous than ever before.

One of the veteran musicians leveraged his connections from his early years to open Xianle Lou, recruiting a large number of musicians and singers. After more than twenty years of operation, Xianle Lou's reputation spread far and wide. Not only did they enjoy being invited to banquets, but even government officials would sometimes turn to them for staffing when they were short of staff.

Although they all played the piano and sang songs, their reputation and status were much better than those of the girls in brothels.

The playboys moved to Xianle Tower, and Chu Xiaojiu listened to them talking about this Zhu Xingshou.

"Her name is Zhu Fan. I heard she was born into a family of officials. Due to family troubles, she was confiscated and became a musician in the Jiaofang Bureau. She eventually came to Xianle Tower."

"Everyone else has a nickname, but she doesn't. She said it was given by her parents, and she'll be called that as long as she lives."

"Tsk tsk, that sounds quite courageous! Even after falling into prostitution, he can still be so noble."

"Who says not? She plays the qin well and has a noble character. She has been famous since she opened the shop. Many people come here just for her. With so many famous people in Xianlelou, she has gradually made a name for herself."

Chu Xiaojiu interrupted: "What's going on with the prince? When did you meet her?"

"Is it some kind of flower-viewing banquet?" The dandy scratched his head. "I forgot who hosted it. The prince sat there for a while and happened to hear Zhu Xingshou playing the zither."

At this point, he looked around slyly and leaned over: "Ninth Brother, to be honest, I got drunk here once, and when I was vomiting at the back, I ran into the prince, but I suspected that I was dazzled and didn't dare to tell anyone."

Chu Xiaojiu glanced over quickly, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he asked in a low voice, "Are you sure?"

"Looks like it, not sure."

"Where did you run into him? Take me there!"

The playboy was pulled over by him and said in a daze: "Ninth brother, why are you asking this? The prince is no longer here."

"The prince is not here, but the princess is here!" Chu Xiaojiu laughed.

The dandy was awakened by his words: "You want to tell the princess? Yes, the princess is investigating the cause of the prince's death. But, this happened in the middle of the year, several months later!"

"You don't understand this, do you?" Chu Xiaojiu explained, "Whether the clue is useful or not is not up to me. The princess will send someone to take a look. Even if it's useless, being able to talk to the princess will build a friendship, right?"

The dandy was full of admiration and gave him a thumbs up: "No wonder Brother Nine is doing so well, his brain is much better than ours!"

Someone passed by, and Chu Xiaojiu hurriedly said "hush" and said to him: "Don't let anyone hear it, and don't tell anyone. The more people know, the less credit you will get."

The playboy nodded repeatedly: "Ninth brother is right, I will listen to you."

With this idea in mind, he became more active. He took Chu Xiaojiu to the place and tried hard to recall the past.

"It's so rare to see the prince, I don't know if I recognized him wrongly, but he really looks like him. He came from here, wearing ordinary clothes, and there was only one guard with him..."

Chu Xiaojiu walked along that road, but was stopped when he turned the corner.

"Dear guest, this is where the musicians rest. You can't go any further." The attendant said with a smile.

Chu Xiaojiu rolled his eyes, acted arrogantly, and said, "I spent so much money just to see you! Go away, a good dog doesn't block the road!"

The dandy, feeling like he was his lackey, rudely pushed the attendant aside, "Did you hear what my ninth brother said? In the entire capital, the number of people who dared to stop my ninth brother could be counted on one hand. Who do you think you are?" Of course, the attendant was nothing, but if he were to back away after being frightened, the Xianle Tower would be unable to continue operating. He bowed his head and said, "Dear guest, please sit aside for a moment. I will call the musicians to serve you. The musicians must be dressed up to avoid offending your eyes."

The other party was so humble that most people would have retreated at this time, but Chu Xiaojiu was deliberately looking for trouble. He shouted with a fierce face: "You are so long-winded, aren't you just unwilling to refuse? I am not so easy to fool!"

When the attendant was helpless, a gentle voice came from inside: "Shi Da, please invite the person in!"

The dandy's eyes lit up: "Master Zhu!"

It really is this Zhu Xingshou! Chu Xiaojiu muttered in his heart, and more doubts arose.

The attendant replied, "Yes," and opened the door. "Please come in, distinguished guest."

Chu Xiaojiu entered the room and saw a young girl sitting in front of the dressing table. The maid next to her was holding an ivory comb in her hand, which confirmed what the servant had just said. She was indeed dressing up.

The girl put down the mirror in her hand, stood up and bowed to the two men: "My name is Zhu Fan, and I am honored to meet you two gentlemen. What are your names?"

"Master Zhu!" the dandy fellow said impatiently, "I'm Cheng Jun, and it's me who asked you out tonight."

Zhu Fan's face flashed with surprise, then he smiled and said, "So it's Master Cheng. It's my fault for stopping you two."

Cheng Jun hurriedly said, "We were too impatient. Zhu Xingshou was still getting dressed, so it was really wrong for him to barge in."

Zhu Fan smiled and asked them to sit down. While pouring the wine himself, he replied softly, "In any case, if you feel uncomfortable after entering Xianle Tower, it means we have failed to provide you with a good hospitality. This glass of wine is my apology to you two."

After saying that, she picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.

Cheng Jun was amazed at how refreshing it was and drank it in one gulp.

Chu Xiaojiu could only accompany him, muttering to himself.

This Zhu Xingshou was certainly good-looking, but not stunningly beautiful. What was remarkable was her calm and elegant demeanor, truly like someone raised in an official family. She was also very graceful and graceful, and with just a few words, she had Cheng Jun completely under her thumb. No wonder she had become so famous in Xianle Tower.

Does the Crown Prince like this type? Not really. The Crown Princess is a rare beauty, her charm and temperament are no less than Zhu Fan's. Besides, the Eastern Palace has few concubines, so the Crown Prince is not obsessed with matters between men and women.

Or is it better to steal than to do it openly?
"Young Master Chu? Young Master Chu?" Zhu Fan looked at him puzzledly.

Chu Xiaojiu came back to her senses and smiled lasciviously, "Zhu Xingshou truly lives up to his reputation. I missed out on such a beauty before, what a shame! I wonder what kind of music Zhu Xingshou is good at? Linjiangxian? Qingpingle?"

This familiar expression made Zhu Fan's smile fade, and he politely replied, "What kind of music does Mr. Chu like to listen to? I know a few."

The three of them drank, listened to music, and chatted, and time passed quickly.

The group of playboys downstairs waited for a long time and could not bear it any longer, so they called the servants to come and call them. Only then did they know that they had already seen Zhu Xingshou.

"Cheng Si, you called us here, why are you eating alone?"

"Xiaojiu, you didn't even call us!"

The young masters were making a lot of noise, attracting the attention of the guests.

Post early, go to bed early.