maidservant

Chapter 21: String Music Pavilion

She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is especially good at playing the guzheng, so she is quite popular in the String Music Pavilion.

Suddenly, a noise came from the door, interrupting her performance.

Young Master Li Mao strode in with his friends.

Born into a wealthy merchant family, Li Mao disliked the ways of business. Despite his distinguished family background, he was intelligent and studious from a young age, well-read and dedicated to the pursuit of good governance and the well-being of the people. He also enjoyed a love of poetry, wine, and romance, earning him a high reputation among literati.

Although he came from a merchant family, he possessed no philistine airs. His fame in the past year stemmed from his donation of half his family's savings upon hearing of the impending war on the frontier and the government's tight military budget. Thus, within just a few months of arriving in the capital, he had already achieved widespread fame.

This man was known for his generosity and generosity. He was even more generous when he listened to music. A string of agate bracelets, a pearl necklace, any one of which would make those around him jealous.

His face was so handsome that it was hard to look away: his eyebrows were like distant mountains, his eyes were like bright stars, his nose was high and straight, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised, with a somewhat cynical smile.

When he smiled, he looked like a willow tree blown by the spring breeze, indescribably dashing.

However, few people knew that behind such a glamorous life, he spent money like water. He seemed to live a carefree and happy life, but in fact he was numbing himself with alcohol and money.

Tonight, for the first time, he followed the sons of dissolute officials to the Jiaofangsi to seek pleasure.

Everyone quickly gathered around him, and his eyes quickly scanned the entire place. When he saw Xiaoyue, a gleam flashed in his eyes.

"Miss, can you dance?" Li Mao walked up to Xiaoyue and asked with a smile.

Xiaoyue raised her head, looked at him, was stunned, and then tears flowed.

Twelve years of being Yan Xiao had already taught her to restrain her temper. This normal behavior was also seen by Yunong who came to persuade her to drink.

Xiaoyue closed her eyes, tried hard to suppress her emotions, and danced lightly. Her movements were graceful and smooth, like a fluttering butterfly.

Her dance was more passionate than ever, as if she was expressing her inner emotions.

Yunong found that Li Mao was just staring into Xiaoyue's eyes, and her heart ached.

In their line of work, they can't spoil the fun of young men.

Yunong took advantage of the crowd's force to slide and sat in Li Mao's arms, trying to divert his attention.

The romantic young man just smiled and nodded. He understood what she meant. He was just looking for fun, so why should he make the beauty worry.

As the night deepened, the guests in the Jiaofangsi gradually dispersed.

Xiaoyue returned to her room, sorted herself out, and prepared to rest.

Yunong gently knocked on Xiaoyue's door.

A faint fragrance wafted through the room, mixed with the scent of wine, and the air was filled with a drowsy atmosphere.

"Xiao Yue" Yunong called softly, holding a blue and white porcelain bowl in her hand, which was filled with light yellow plum wine with a few dried plum slices floating on the surface of the wine.

Xiaoyue was sitting on a small couch by the window and looked up when she heard the sound.

Her eyes were still a little red, obviously she had just cried.

Seeing Yunong coming in with wine, she immediately stood up, took the wine bowl, bowed, and said in a low voice: "Thank you, sister, for helping me out today."

"Why should we be polite to each other?" Yunong put the wine on the table next to Xiaoyue, picked up the handkerchief and wiped the corners of Xiaoyue's eyes.
"I felt bad when I saw you lose your composure on the stage during the day. I just don't know--" She paused, wanting to say something but stopping herself. Everyone in this courtyard has a scar in their heart that they dare not reveal.

Xiaoyue looked down at the plum wine in the bowl and burst into tears. She thought of the mole between Li Mao's eyebrows that was similar to her sister's. She told Yunong that before she was sold to the Jiaofangsi twelve years ago, she had a younger sister who made a living with her.

She looked down at the wine in the bowl, her fingers trembling slightly, and the glass almost slipped from her fingertips.

Seeing this, Yunong quickly reached out to steady the wine bowl and asked, "Does your sister look like that Mr. Li?"

"Yes..." Xiaoyue's voice was very soft, like a dead leaf floating in the wind, "The mole between his eyebrows is very similar to my sister's."

As soon as she said this, Xiaoyue couldn't hold back any longer. She put down the wine glass, covered her face with a handkerchief, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Seeing this, Yunong quickly sat down next to her and patted her back gently.

"Sister..." There was a hint of heartache in Yunong's voice.

"Twelve years ago..." Xiaoyue's voice was very soft, as if she was recalling a distant memory.

"I still remember that morning. I only managed to snatch half a pancake for Ah Shan, and then we parted ways."

"That winter was especially cold." When she said this, she shuddered unconsciously, wondering whether her sister had survived that winter and whether she was still alive.

"It has been twelve years since that day. If she were still alive, she would have grown into a grown-up girl." Xiaoyue said this, her voice choked with sobs and she couldn't speak.

Yunong reached out to wipe away her tears. Her fingers stroked the wine glass and she asked softly again, "Does your sister... also have a mole like that?"

"Sister, I saw a maid a few days ago. She looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, and she also had a red mole shaped like a teardrop between her eyebrows."

----

The day before the Crown Princess entered the palace, dozens of carriages had already been prepared outside the East Palace gate, and row after row of baggage carriages slowly drove into the Crown Prince's Mansion.

According to the rules of this dynasty, concubines and maids have to enter the Eastern Palace one day earlier than the Crown Princess, but they do not serve in the emperor's bedchamber.

The streets were crowded with people watching the excitement, standing on tiptoe to look around.

The wedding sedan chairs of the two concubines and two attendants were parked in front of the main hall of the East Palace, and the curtains were embroidered with exquisite patterns.

Their task was to arrange the dowry in advance, take care of the inner courtyard, and under the guidance of the tutor aunt, rehearse the ceremony for marrying the Crown Princess the next day.

After the female officials in Concubine Li's palace read out the imperial edict as usual and collected the dowry list, the masters of each family, their dowry maids and their dowries were arranged in the courtyards according to the edict.

The dowry was so eye-catching - the golden nanmu box was inlaid with agate and tourmaline, and when it was opened, it was even more dazzling: there were coral trees tributed from the Western Regions, pearls from the South China Sea, and cloud-patterned brocades specially made by the brocade workshop.

If these dowries were given to ordinary people, they would probably be rich enough to rival a country.

The eastern wing where Lin Yu went was called Shaokun Palace, which was next to the main courtyard "Zichu Palace" where the Crown Princess would live, not far away.

The magnificent Zichu Palace is like a jade building, standing majestically in the palace garden. The magnificent palace is inlaid with flying eaves with dragon patterns, and the white jade steps on both sides wind upwards, shining with every step.

In front of the palace gate stood two giant red-lacquered pillars, several meters high, with exquisitely carved golden dragons coiled on top, holding cloud patterns in their claws and gazing at the sky, demonstrating the supreme imperial power and majesty.

(End of this chapter)