Night fell, and the streetlamps cast a hazy glow over the road.
Zheng Mingyuan half-dragged, half-pulled Xiao Qing into this place of song and dance.
“Qufeng, you’re so decisive in court—how is it that you become so timid once you get here?” Zheng Mingyuan tugged at Xiao Qing’s arm as he urged her, “The Ministry of Revenue is so busy that if we wait until you have free time, who knows when that will be? I went out of my way to bring you here today so you could relax for a while. Don’t spoil everyone’s mood.”
Xiao Qing’s throat tightened. She reached out to push him away, her voice carrying a hint of urgency. “You and I are both officials of the court. Coming here for no reason is truly inappropriate. Let’s go.”
“Which court official has never come here for an elegant gathering? Scholars like you are especially fond of this place! Your half-brother practically wishes he could move his entire household here. There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Come on—they must be getting impatient waiting for us.”
Without giving her a chance to argue, Zheng Mingyuan dragged her inside.
With the arrival of a new Top Courtesan, Jiaofangsi had been especially lively these past few days. The group did not go to a private room but took their seats at a table in the main hall.
Xiao Qing recognized the two men there. They had grown up playing together: Shen Shuqing, the eldest son of the Shen family, whose patriarch was the Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief, and Li Zhixing, the younger son of the Li family’s Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments.
The moment he saw them arrive, Shen Shuqing began complaining. “Qufeng, you’re far too slow!”
Li Zhixing chimed in, “We don’t mind waiting, but if the Top Courtesan gets upset, you won’t get to see her.”
With that, Li Zhixing clapped his hands. The tinkling of jade pendants rang out, and a fragrant breeze brushed across their faces.
Several women approached with graceful, swaying steps.
The woman at the front had willow-shaped brows, vermilion lips, cheeks as fair as snow, and an otherworldly air. She was likely the Top Courtesan Zheng Mingyuan had mentioned.
As soon as she entered, the woman’s gaze swept swiftly across the room before settling on Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing had a handsome, refined face and fair skin. A plain-colored sash outlined her slender waist, and although her expression was cool, she possessed a far more ethereal and unworldly bearing than ordinary noble young masters.
The woman immediately lifted her skirt and stepped forward, intending to lean against her. “This young master looks unfamiliar. May I ask which noble household you belong to?”
Just as the woman’s soft, warm body was about to reach her, Xiao Qing instinctively turned aside to avoid her.
The woman leaned into empty air. A trace of surprise flickered through her eyes, but she quickly concealed it beneath a seductive smile.
Shen Shuqing hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Top Courtesan Qiao, don’t take offense. This brother of mine is here for the first time and is rather shy. He can’t take much teasing.”
Xiao Qing sat upright at the table, one hand hovering against its edge. A distant smile rested on her face, but she did not reply.
The room was filled with the sweet voices of singing girls and laughing women, with soft jade and warm fragrance all around. To others, this was a gentle haven; to her, it was a field of slaughter.
Surrounded by women in hairpins and skirts, she felt as though her identity might be exposed at any moment.
Seeing her aloofness, Top Courtesan Qiao became even more intrigued. She picked up the wine pot and poured her a cup. As she did so, her sleeve brushed across the back of Xiao Qing’s hand, sending a deliberately provocative thrill through the contact.
Xiao Qing withdrew her hand from the table and widened the distance between them. Her voice was taut and even. “There’s no need to trouble yourself.”
These women had spent a long time immersed in this world, and their thoughts were far more perceptive than men’s. Xiao Qing did not dare let any of them get close.
“Young master, you’re awfully cold,” Top Courtesan Qiao said softly, her eyes shifting flirtatiously. “Could it be that I’m not worthy of your notice?”
Li Zhixing watched from the side, laughing. He lowered his voice and teased, “Qufeng, with such a beauty beside you, are you still going to put on the airs of a senior official of the Ministry of Revenue?”
At the mention of a senior official of the Ministry of Revenue, Top Courtesan Qiao was secretly startled. Was this not the legitimate son of Marquis Xiao’s Residence—the top scholar in all three examinations, and a man who enjoyed the emperor’s deep favor? If she could attach herself to him, what need would she have to worry about ever escaping this mire?
Xiao Qing swiftly concealed the flicker of panic in her eyes and quickly regained her composure. If she acted too strangely, she would only draw more attention. Thus, she said coldly, “Drinking is enough. Nothing else is necessary.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Top Courtesan Qiao gave a soft laugh. She raised her slender hand and reached directly for Xiao Qing’s arm, pouting coquettishly as she said in a gentle voice, “Young master, just have a cup with me.”
Xiao Qing lifted a hand to block Top Courtesan Qiao’s movement. Her gesture was crisp and decisive. Though a faint smile curved her lips, her manner made it clear that she would keep people a thousand miles away. “There’s no need, Top Courtesan. I can drink by myself.”
The laughter around the table abruptly faltered.
Top Courtesan Qiao’s hand stopped in midair. She stared in astonishment at the distant-looking young master before her.
Shen Shuqing hurriedly spoke up to smooth things over, his smile helpless. “Top Courtesan Qiao, don’t take offense. My brother has always been rigid and knows nothing of romance. Don’t hold it against him.”
Seeing that Xiao Qing was not coyly flirting but truly had no interest in romance, Top Courtesan Qiao abandoned the idea. She merely refilled her wine and served her food.
Xiao Qing sat upright, her suspended heart never quite settling. She only hoped this absurd social engagement would end as soon as possible.
Without Top Courtesan Qiao at her side flaunting her charms, Xiao Qing felt much more at ease and began chatting with the others about interesting things that had happened in Yangzhou.
The atmosphere in the room had been perfectly harmonious when a voice interrupted them.
“Second Brother really is here. Ever since you returned from Yangzhou, I haven’t had a proper chance to speak with you. Every time I see you, you say that the court’s affairs are keeping you busy.”
His tone then shifted, becoming teasing while still carrying an elder brother’s concern.
“I searched for you in several places, only to discover that you were hiding here in this gentle haven, enjoying yourself.”
Xiao Qing rose and offered a faint salute. “Elder Brother.”
Xiao Changming’s voice was gentle and seemed concerned, but dark barbs already lurked beneath his words. “Although Jiaofangsi provides music and dance for the court, it is also a place of romance in the eyes of the world. Officials who come here are naturally liable to attract criticism.”
Xiao Qing picked up her teacup and took a sip before replying blandly, “I happened to have some free time, so I came to listen to music and relieve my fatigue. That’s all.”
“Relieve your fatigue?” Xiao Changming laughed aloud, though he deliberately lowered his voice afterward, as if he were speaking for Xiao Qing’s sake. “Little brother, it isn’t that I mean to say too much. You’re still young, yet you already occupy such a high position. How many eyes are watching you? In court, one’s good name is the most important thing.
“You spend all day associating with these entertainers and singing girls. If word gets out, won’t people say that you neglect your proper duties and indulge in pleasure? If a censor impeaches you for ‘neglecting your duties and lingering in places of romance,’ wouldn’t you be destroying your own future? I truly worry about you.”
Everything Xiao Changming said sounded like a brother’s earnest admonition to his younger sibling, but every sentence dug another pit for Xiao Qing.
He was trying to saddle her with the accusation of “neglecting her proper duties,” then claim that her virtue did not match her position, all while pretending to be concerned and using that concern to establish Xiao Qing’s “fault” as fact.
Zheng Mingyuan could not listen any longer. “What nonsense are you talking about? Qufeng was dragged here by force today. This is her first time coming here, yet you make her sound like some debauched wastrel who spends all her time among the flowers.”
They had played together since childhood. Even if they did not know everything about Xiao Qing’s family, they knew the general situation. Xiao Changming looked refined and scholarly, but in truth he was merely a hypocritical villain harboring malicious intentions.
In any case, Zheng Mingyuan’s mother had expressly forbidden him from playing with Xiao Changming.
Xiao Changming was not angered by Zheng Mingyuan’s words. He merely shook his head regretfully. “Second Brother, a true man must dare to take responsibility for his actions. When something happens, you cannot shift the blame onto someone else.”
Zheng Mingyuan had a fiery temper. At once, he was about to rise and argue with him, but Xiao Qing stopped him with a look.
If she followed Xiao Changming’s words and argued with him, she would lose no matter how she responded.
Xiao Qing set down her teacup. Her voice was calm but edged with steel. “Elder Brother, you’re worrying needlessly. I will handle my official duties myself. Finding some amusement in my free time will not interfere with my work. As for you, Elder Brother—you left the residence and came all the way to Jiaofangsi to look for me. Was it merely to say these things? Besides, I came here today as soon as I finished work. How did you know I was here? Could it be that you sent someone to follow me?
“Do you know that following an official of the court is, strictly speaking, a punishable offense?”
The smile on Xiao Changming’s face froze for an instant, but it soon returned to normal. Waving his hand, he said, “Naturally, I’m only concerned about Second Brother. You and I are brothers, one body. Your future is the future of the Xiao family, so how could I not worry about it? Still, Second Brother, heed one word of advice from your elder brother. Jiaofangsi is ultimately not a place where a proper official should come often. You would do well to visit less in the future, lest you give others something to use against you.”
As he spoke, he rose and patted Xiao Qing on the shoulder. The touch appeared gentle, but it carried a faint pressure that was difficult to detect.
“All right. I won’t say anything more. You wouldn’t like hearing too much, anyway. You know your own circumstances best. I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first. Second Brother, take care of yourself.”
With that, Xiao Changming gave Xiao Qing one more meaningful look before turning and leaving.
His expression appeared calm, but his steps were slightly hurried. He was presumably eager to spread the rumors that Xiao Qing lingered at Jiaofangsi and neglected her proper duties.
After Xiao Changming had gone a fair distance away, worry appeared on Shen Shuqing’s face. “Your half-brother made everything sound so convincing. Could something happen? This is our fault, too. We shouldn’t have dragged you here.”
Xiao Qing smiled unconcernedly. “Didn’t you also say that scholars like me are especially fond of coming here? What’s wrong with coming here for an elegant gathering after leaving the office? Don’t let it trouble you.”
Li Zhixing lifted his wine cup. “Don’t you believe in Qufeng? From childhood until now, there has never been anything he said or did that failed.”
Zheng Mingyuan was still somewhat worried. “Qufeng, are you really all right? I’m afraid it won’t be easy to explain this to Marquis Xiao.”
For families like theirs, having sons and daughters born to concubines was perfectly ordinary. But no other household was like Marquis Xiao’s.
He treated his son born to a concubine like a precious treasure, while treating his own brilliant legitimate child as though they were enemies.