Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 554 The Imperial Concubine's Visit Home (Part 7)

Without hesitation, Yuan Chun ranked Daiyu's poem "Apricot Curtain in Sight" as the best and bestowed a prize upon everyone.

It's just a symbolic gesture; everyone involved gets a share.

After finishing composing the poem, the performance began.

The twelve young actors that the Jia family had specially purchased from Suzhou and Yangzhou to welcome Yuan Chun back to her homeland were already prepared at the foot of the Grand View Pavilion. After Yuan Chun personally selected four plays, they began rehearsing in the courtyard.

These twelve young actors ranged in age from eleven or twelve to as young as nine. Their opera skills were naturally inferior to those of famous troupes, but their beauty and liveliness made them stand out. When they rehearsed lively plays, they created a unique and joyful atmosphere compared to performances by renowned troupes and actors.

This undoubtedly better reflects the scene of family reunion in the Jia family tonight.

After the four plays were performed, Yuan Chun took a liking to one of the girls who played the young female lead and specially ordered her to enter the palace to offer her her regards.

"What's your name?"

"Reporting back to Your Majesty, Lingguan."

Yuan Chun carefully examined the girl in front of her, whose colorful theatrical decorations could not conceal her intelligence and beauty, and smiled with satisfaction: "Reward her."

It turns out that when the Jia family selected these twelve young actresses, they intended to choose those with exceptional looks, which cost them a lot of money. Among the twelve actresses, Lingguan was one of the best, and her voice was clear, melodious, and pleasant to listen to. Therefore, without much embellishment, she could attract attention and delight people simply by standing on the stage and singing softly.

Moreover, Lingguan was not someone who could not be molded. On the contrary, she was very good at opera, and with the guidance of Shen Pan'er and others who were very good at showing the beauty of her figure, she was able to develop her own advantages, which greatly increased her performance on the stage. It is no wonder that Yuan Chun was pleased with her.

After giving her money and snacks, Yuan Chun ordered Ling Guan to perform two more plays. Ling Guan did not refuse and complied.

After two short plays had finished, Lingguan's performance was still considered excellent. Yuanchun then said to Grandmother Jia and others, "Teach this girl well and don't make things difficult for her."

Everyone could see that Yuan-chun had truly taken a liking to the child, so they dared not disobey and all agreed with smiles. They even asked Yuan-chun if she wanted Ling-guan to perform two more plays for them to see, but Yuan-chun refused again.

It turned out that Yuan-chun had been home for several hours. After the excessive excitement, a sense of desolation arose, but she couldn't express it to Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang.

Suddenly, a long and deep melody drifted over, and although its source was unknown, the magnificent and solemn hall fell silent as a result.

Yuan Chun recognized the sound as a flute, but didn't know who was playing it. The others had some guesses, but weren't sure, so they looked at Wang Xifeng and You Shi, who were in charge of arranging things here.

Sister Feng rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the moonlight is delightful tonight. Please move to the backyard to enjoy the moon."

"Moon viewing?" Yuan Chun nodded. Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it's time to enjoy the moon with family. She then looked at Grandmother Jia and the others, and seeing that they had all gotten up, she followed them and walked gracefully towards the backyard.

Before even leaving the hall, the sound of the flute grew clearer, and I knew that the person playing it was indeed in the backyard. So I stood under the eaves and looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a graceful figure standing on the eaves of the corner tower under the moonlight.

She wore a long white dress, holding a xiao (a type of Chinese flute) in both hands. The silvery moonlight shone on her slightly upturned cheeks, perfectly showcasing her exquisite features.

From Yuan Chun's perspective, the full moon above the peerless beauty's head seemed to have been created just for her, and all the moonlight was only to proclaim this woman's beauty to the world.

Yuan Chun was stunned. The melodious sound of the flute, set against this unparalleled beauty, made her wonder if there were truly immortals in the world.

The group of people, including Grandmother Jia, who came from behind Yuan Chun, saw that Yuan Chun was standing quietly watching and did not dare to disturb her. They dispersed and enjoyed the scene with Yuan Chun.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the jade flute ceased. The beauty, who seemed to blend into the moonlight, glanced at the crowd below, but before anyone could react, she turned and vanished.

Yuan-chun snapped out of her daze, pondered for a moment, and asked Feng-jie, "Who is this person?"

Sister Feng hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is the music teacher we invited back to teach those twelve girls."

Mr. Music?

Yuan Chun frowned. Actors naturally need to be knowledgeable in music, and it's common for young girls who haven't yet mastered their craft to seek instruction from teachers.

However, even she was so amazed by that woman when she first saw her, let alone others. With such beauty, she herself is an inexhaustible treasure and wealth, why would she condescend to teach children?

"Who requested this return?"

"Yes, it's Marquis Zhenyuan..."

When Sister Feng lowered her head to reply, the corner of her mouth slightly twitched, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Sure enough it was him...

Yuan Chun understood, glanced at Feng Jie, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her eyes, but she didn't intend to interfere in the couple's affairs. She simply smiled and said, "Since there's such a person in the household, why not invite her over for an introduction?"

How could Sister Feng and the others refuse? After inviting Yuan Chun to sit down, they immediately sent someone to invite her.

Yuan-chun and the others sat in the hall of the corridor, finding the space spacious and perfect for moon-viewing. Looking around, she realized that Jia Lian was nowhere to be seen, so she asked him where he was.

"Your Majesty, this entire program was designed and presented by Marquis Zhenyuan. He must be making arrangements personally behind the scenes right now."

Yuan Chun nodded. She said that the simple yet exquisitely beautiful scene she had just seen was not something an ordinary person could imagine or arrange. If it was Jia Lian's doing, then it would make sense.

……

Meanwhile, when Yuan Chun had Ling Guan perform alone, Jia Lian took the opportunity to leave the main hall and head towards the corner tower of Daguan Tower.

"My lord..."

A woman with her hair in a bun, dressed as a servant of the Jia family, yet unusually beautiful and refined, bowed and greeted Jia Lian.

Jia Lian glanced at her. "Is everything prepared as I instructed?"

"We have prepared everything exactly as the Marquis instructed. The young lady in green is also ready and waiting for the play to end so she can take the stage. She will surely give the Imperial Concubine an unforgettable experience."

"Um……"

Jia Lian nodded. Seeing that the woman had washed away her makeup and even spoke with a more subservient air, Jia Lian sighed inwardly, feeling a little sorry for her.

This woman named Jiang Yun was originally a beauty who had won the title of the most famous courtesan in Jiangnan. However, she was short-lived and had a tragic fate. After passing through the hands of several men, she ended up in the hands of the wealthy salt merchant Zhao family.

When Jia Lian raided the Zhao family in Yangzhou, he originally intended to send her to the brothel like the other female relatives of convicted officials. However, due to the pleas of his trusted confidante Zhao'er, Jia Lian granted her to him and had already ordered the two to marry several months prior.

According to the rules of the Jia family, servants bought from outside are different from those born into the family. Although Jiang Yun married Zhao'er, she was not normally a servant of the Jia family, and her children with Zhao'er would not necessarily become servants in the Jia family.

However, the day after her wedding, Zhao'er brought Jiang Yun to Jia Lian and his wife and begged them to grant Jiang Yun the status of a slave. Her words were so earnest that even Feng Jie couldn't bear to refuse her.

Feng Jie was a person who valued both kindness and authority. She knew Zhao'er's position by Jia Lian's side. To ensure her loyalty, she would have her and her husband sell themselves into the Jia family together, and their children and offspring would also be born into the Jia family. Only in this way could she feel more at ease.

Because the girl was too beautiful, Sister Feng did not want to place her too close to home. It just so happened that the twelve officials, instructors and four vocal teachers of Pear Fragrance Courtyard were all mixed together and there was no one in charge who could command respect.

It just so happens that Jiang Yun was also a former courtesan and Zhao's daughter-in-law, making her perfectly suited to manage those "low-class" people.

Jia Lian did not reject Feng Jie's suggestion, which made her somewhat gratified.

To be honest, ever since she saw Jiang Yun's appearance, Feng Jie was quite surprised that Jia Lian would give this girl to Zhao'er.

Having spent so much time together, how could she not understand Jia Lian's habits? Although he had gotten rid of most of his old bad habits, his lustful nature remained unchanged, and sometimes even worse.

Especially when it comes to exceptionally beautiful women, who are one in a million, the attitude is almost that the more the better!

This often made her feel both comforted and secretly annoyed.

The annoyance lies in the abundance of beauties, which naturally diminishes her favor. The consolation, however, is that she doesn't have to be swayed by the presence of filthy, foul-smelling women, lest she feel disgusted.

Therefore, Jia Lian's indifference to a beauty like Jiang Yun earned him a certain respect from Feng Jie. In Feng Jie's eyes, a woman who had served countless filthy men was perfect to be given to a servant.

On the other hand, Jia Lian only felt a slight pity, but had no regrets. After all, he was surrounded by too many beauties, some pure and innocent, some lively and pretty, some with exquisite figures, and some with unparalleled beauty. He had all kinds of beauties.

It's not just Jiang Yun who's missing.

"Your Excellency is so biased."

As soon as I entered the room, a soft, supple body snuggled up to me, and the first thing she did was to act coquettishly.

Jia Lian smiled helplessly. This Shen Pan'er was extremely dignified and elegant in front of outsiders, especially in front of Sister Feng. But once there were no outsiders around, she started to act coquettishly. Many times, Jia Lian felt that she had gone too far.

"As expected, in the Marquis's heart, Sister Qingyi is number one. So on such an important day, he only let her go, leaving the three of us aside."

Shen Pan'er didn't dare to run away from Pear Fragrance Courtyard to find Jia Lian, so once she got the chance, she poured out all the things she had been holding back.

"Didn't I already explain to you that today is unusual? There's a reason why I let her go."

"Hmph, if I let you do it, with your current slutty look, I guarantee the Imperial Concubine will give you a good beating!"

Being scolded like this by Jia Lian in front of her close friends, Shen Pan'er looked extremely aggrieved. Suddenly, she took a step back, her face hardened, her feet straightened, and her hands held high. She said, "Is this the kind of Pan'er the Marquis wants? She can act dignified and elegant too. Look at me, where am I inferior to her?"

To be honest, when this girl straightens up, she really does look like a completely different person. Jia Lian glanced at her and then remembered that she was able to become the number one dancer in Yangzhou, with an appearance fee of one hundred and fifty or sixty taels of silver. This was certainly not something that could be obtained by being seductive.

Even Wan Qiyun and Wei Shishi were deeply impressed by Shen Pan'er's skillful and controlled methods.

No wonder they couldn't get more attention from Jia Lian no matter what they tried, but Shen Pan'er was able to outshine Gu Qingyi in terms of looks and talent, even though she was inferior to Gu Qingyi.

Gu Qingyi couldn't stand Shen Pan'er acting flirtatiously in front of her, so when she saw an opportunity, she took out her jade flute, respectfully told Jia Lian that she would go down to make preparations, and then left the room.

With Gu Qingyi gone, Shen Pan'er became even more unrestrained, regaining her composure and taking Jia Lian's arm, saying, "Sister Qingyi was able to perform in front, but I also had Sister Qiyun and Sister Shishi rehearse the dance. Since the Marquis won't let us show it to the Empress, why don't we dance for the Marquis? That way, our efforts won't have been in vain..."

Seeing Shen Pan'er looking at him expectantly, Jia Lian felt embarrassed to refuse.

He had already reminded Shen Pan'er and the other three girls to rehearse a few elegant and refined programs in advance, so that one of them could be selected as a special program for Yuan Chun to watch during her visit home.

This was to achieve the same effect as when they bribed Daiyu, allowing the four of them to appear in front of Yuanchun and solidify their position.

However, Jia Lian changed his mind at the last minute, only allowing Gu Qingyi to appear. While there were certainly some necessary considerations involved, Shen Pan'er and the others felt it was still unfair.

So he nodded.

Shen Pan'er and the others cheered, having already changed their clothes. But before leaving, they said, "Oh dear, we choreographed the dance for four people. Now that Sister Qingyi isn't here, what are we going to do?"

A complete dance needs adjustments if someone is suddenly missing. But right now, Jia Lian is clearly taking time out of his busy schedule to correct their mistakes.

Wan Qiyun, a famous courtesan from Jinling known for her singing voice, said, "Sister Jiang Yun has won the title of the most beautiful courtesan, and her talent is no less than ours. She often gave us guidance when we were rehearsing our dance. Now that Sister Qingyi is not here, why don't we ask her to fill in?"

Shen Pan'er's eyes lit up as she looked at Jia Lian.

Jia Lian remained noncommittal. He had never stipulated that servants couldn't study singing and dancing. In fact, Jia Lian wanted to enrich the cultural life of the Jia family; if possible, he even wanted all the maids and young wives in the Jia household to be skilled in singing and dancing!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested that Qin Keqing learn dance from Shen Pan'er. It's said that the two women got along quite well.

A few days ago, Qin Keqing quietly told him that she was almost ready to learn a dance and was going to show it to him...

"I think I'd better forget about it... given my identity..."

Jiang Yun was pulled in, but she was still resisting.

"Sister Jiang Yun, please don't refuse. Didn't you choreograph and dance with us before? The Marquis isn't a harsh person, so what are you worried about?" Shen Pan'er immediately saw through Jiang Yun's concerns and advised her in this way.

Seeing that Shen Pan'er had betrayed her, Jiang Yun dared not argue anymore, but glanced nervously at Jia Lian, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"If you can, help them fill a vacancy. If you dance well, I will reward you."

Although Jia Lian did not inquire about the relationship between Zhao'er and her husband, he figured that given Zhao'er's lack of ambition, she must cherish such a beauty as a treasure.

He had served her for many years, held a position of power in the household, and had enough money to prosper. Therefore, even if Jiang Yun were to fall from the status of a concubine to a servant, she would probably live a more comfortable life than before. Thus, it's understandable that she cherishes this status and wouldn't easily overstep the boundaries.

Seeing that Jia Lian truly didn't take offense, Jiang Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief and bowed gracefully, saying, "Since Your Excellency has given the order, this servant... this servant can only try her best..."

So, after Jiang Yun changed into her dance costume, Shen Pan'er and the other two silently began to dance in the backstage room.

Although it was just an elegant dance performed by Shen Pan'er and the others at Jia Lian's request, without any musical accompaniment, it was still a beautiful visual feast thanks to the four women's superb looks and skills, as well as their increasingly moving dance moves.

Suddenly, the sound of a flute came from outside, and the gracefully dancing beauties all knew that Gu Qingyi had made her appearance.

Overwhelmed by jealousy and other emotions, Shen Pan'er abandoned all concern for dancing and, feigning a fall, tumbled into Jia Lian's arms.

The other three, unaware of Shen Pan'er's intentions, could only reluctantly gather together for a three-person dance, and then, watching helplessly as Shen Pan'er frolicked in Jia Lian's arms, they ended their dance.

Because the space was already limited, after the three of them finished, they could only watch helplessly as Shen Pan'er caused trouble in Jia Lian's arms.

Suddenly, Shen Pan'er leaned close to Jia Lian's ear and whispered something. Then she turned to the others and said, "What are you all standing there for? Sister Qingyi is showing off her superb flute skills to the Imperial Concubine. We can't fall behind. We have to let the Marquis see us too, so he won't look down on us."

Wan and Wei had long been subservient to Shen Pan'er, and seeing her use the same trick to arouse Jia Lian's interest, they were naturally willing to cooperate. They both leaned over and knelt on the ground on either side to massage Jia Lian's legs and feet.

So, in the entire changing room, Jiang Yun was left standing alone.

Even a fool would know that something romantic was bound to happen next. However, her position was awkward; she couldn't advance or retreat in the first place.

"Enter? Back then, when Zhao'er captured her and offered her to Jia Lian, he refused her. How could she dare to humiliate herself now?"

retreat?

She had seen many lewd men, and if her lustful desires were not satisfied at this moment, she feared she would incur their wrath, so she dared not back down.

Suddenly, Jia Lian removed his hand from Shen Pan'er's chest, waved casually at her, and then scooped up Wei Shishi, the youngest of the group, who had an unusually round and plump figure, and snuggled intimately with Shen Pan'er in his arms.

She felt as if she had been granted a pardon, quickly curtsied, then turned and ran out of the inner room. Behind the door, she leaned against a pillar and gently touched her chest to show her relief.

After calming down, I couldn't help but listen to the sounds inside, but apart from some trivial noises, no one else could make out anything, and I felt a sense of loss.

He immediately straightened his posture, gave himself a silent warning, quietly went into the side room, changed back into the maid's clothes, and then hurriedly returned to his post to diligently guard the area.