Chapter Six, Zi Wan

When Xiao Zuo went out the door, he lifted his right leg and stepped over that high door sill, got dazzled by the high sun outside the door, and immediately, a wave of dizziness made him stagger.

He barely propped himself and stood steady, then senselessly climbed into the sedan chair, and closed his eyes like he had been drained of strength.

As a monarch of a country, he was unable to protect a country’s citizens, allowing frequent chaos of war, losing their homes; As the owner of a family, he was unable to protect a palace of maids, [having them] live on in shame, and be reduced to prostitutes. Xiao Zuo felt that this brief life of his was like floating duckweed, with no roots to be tied down to, going along with the flow, harming others, and harming oneself.

Zi Wan had taken care of him since he was young, and to him, she was not merely a maid, but more of a friend that they shared life and death with. No matter what, he could not just helplessly watch her be reduced to entering the brothel. Xiao Zuo knocked on the door plank, and called out to the driver, “To the Third Entertainment House.”

Ever since he was born, he was coddled in the palace, and when he occasionally went out of the palace, it was to go to the hunting grounds to hunt, or pray to ancestors during New Years. Xiao Zuo was at this age and yet never went to this kind of debaucherous area such as the brothels- he slightly hesitantly stopped at the entrance for a while, but still went inside.

Just as he stepped through the doors, he was met with a few gorgeously dressed ladies with fragrances that greeted the nose inside. It was late autumn, yet they still boldly dressed with silk dresses, only covering with a transparent outer garment on the outside, pulling at him while thinly-dressed, “Young sir, over here.”

Probably seeing that he appeared handsome and was also the look of a shy fledgling, those ladies by the entrance immediately all came around, pulling at his hand, unwilling to let go.

Xiao Zuo alone faced four, five young ladies, and seemed a bit inadequate. He pulled his hand out in a fluster, then asked, “May I ask if your procuress is here today?”

Once those young ladies heard this, they all knitted their eyebrows, and said how disappointing one after another. One of them brushed their clothes, and slowly asked, “What business does the young sir have with Mother?”

“Just lead me there.” Xiao Zuo glanced at their slightly irritated expressions, and suddenly was fortunate to understand, and took out a few gold leaves[1], then placed them in that lady’s hands. That lady lifted her head up to look at him, did not say anything anymore, then got up and walked inside, “Follow me.”

That lady led Xiao Zuo up the building, and knocked on the door of a room, saying, “Mother, there is a wealthy sir looking for you.” Very soon, an aged madam applied with thick makeup poked her head out and looked at Xiao Zuo, then said, “Come in.”

“Procuress, I hear that the courts have sent a group of government prostitutes here, is that true?”

The procuress doubtfully looked at him, then lowered her head to stroke the gold bracelet on her fair arm, “Where has the sir heard of such?”

Xiao Zuo knew that in between her words, it complained that he did not give enough money, and thus also took down the jade pendant he was wearing, and placed it in her hands. Once that procuress got the jade pendant, she carefully looked at it for a while, placed it inside her clothes, and with her voice filled with some smiles, “There certainly has been such thing, what does the sir want to know?”

“Is there a lady by the name of Zi Wan in their midst?” Xiao Zuo paused, “Not too tall, with a mole in between the brows.”

“Let me think.” The procuress knitted her brows and gave it some thought for a moment, then said, “Oh, there is one. That lady is quite fierce, not willing to take in customers at all, and tried seeking death for a few times. She is now shut in the firewood room.” The procuress pursed her lips. “If Sir wants to redeem her, this old one will persuade you to let that idea go. Ones who are registered as governments prostitutes are not ordinary, they are members of slavery destined by Heaven[2], it cannot be changed anymore.”

“Then can you accommodate me, and allow me to see her?”

The procuress weighed the gold leaves in her hands, then nodded her head, “Follow me.”

The two then went downstairs, passed through the main hall clamouring with sounds of people, then twisted and turned and entered a corner piled full with random items with dust all around.

The procuress stopped walking, then pushed open a wooden door squeezed in between some items. Xiao Zuo’s heart was seized tightly- the rays of light in the room were dim, a wave of humid, stale air came right to the face, mixed with the scent of blood, making people gag immediately. He barely made out an outline of a figure curled up into a ball in the corner, and heard the procuress say, “Hurry up, don’t speak for too long. I will be waiting at the door for you.”

Xiao Zuo nodded his head just as he wished, received the torch the procuress handed over, and found an oil lamp on the table and lit it. From the dim yellow light of the lantern, he finally saw how that person looked clearly.

She was still wearing that purple-red sheer dress from the palace, but at this time, it was stuck with specks of filth and blood, and was long beyond recognition. The hair was all a mess and undone, scattering around the head, bunched up together in locks and locks. That person buried their head between the knees, the legs were shackled with iron chains, while both hands tied behind the back with rough hemp rope.

Xiao Zuo felt a wave of heat surging up towards the eyes. He sniffled, and lowered down his voice to a very soft level and asked, “Zi Wan?” That person did not move one bit. He held in his breath, and very carefully fixed the hair blocking her face, revealing that mole in the middle of her brows.

Xiao Zuo’s arm stiffened briefly. He endured and suppressed the urge of wanting to hug her and cry out loud, and called out again with a shaking voice.

“Zi Wan?”

That person still did not respond. Xiao Zuo fixed his expression, and thought, perhaps Zi Wan had fainted. He forcefully held in the slight whimper just about to overfill his throat, then pushed open the door and walked out.

“Done?” The procuress lifted her head up and glanced at him.

“En.” Xiao Zuo’s forehead hung with a few hairs, covering over just about all the corners of his eyes that reddened. He took out a jade pendant from his sleeves again, and placed it before the procuress’ eyes, “This jade is Lan Tian jade from the northeast. It is the utmost rarest. You…… you help me take care of Zi Wan, is that alright?”

Once the procuress saw that jade pendant, she could not conceal the joy in her features, and hurriedly agreed. She held that jade pendant in her hands like it was a treasure, and turned it over to look, then happily spoke up.

“Rest at ease, Sir, I will definitely treat her like my own daughter and take care of her well.”

The ducal residence’s horse carriage was still stopped at the entrance of the alleyway. Xiao Zuo dejectedly staggered the entire way like he had been drunk, and used both hands and feet to climb into the carriage, then sunk into the cushion. The heart seemed like it had been burned by a great big fire, with no inch of grass left alive, and all that entered his eyes were bleak ashes.

“Duke, you’ve finally come back.” Qing Xing held a cloak while waiting at the entrance of the ducal residence. Seeing that Xiao Zuo came down from the carriage, she hurriedly came up to help him put it on, “It is already autumn, there is much dew in the nights of the capital, careful not to get cold.” Xiao Zuo seemed like he did not hear it, and went inside on his own. He entered the bedchambers with floating footsteps, and turned his hand to shut the doors.

After Qing Xing called out from outside and did not hear a response, she no longer called out. Xiao Zuo heard her footsteps gradually going far off, and his back leaned against the wall, sliding down. He took out that embroidered pouch from his chest with trembling hands, and muttered to himself while slightly sobbing.

“Queen Mother, this son is powerless, unable to protect those big like Liang, unable to protect those small like Zi Wan. In this world right now, there is nothing this son yearns for. On that day the country fell, this son should have buried himself along with the country, but it is not too late now. Once this son sees Mother, then I will ask for forgiveness from Mother, and ask for forgiveness from Liang’s citizens.”

“Duke, any more of this would be no good, you must at least have a bit.” Qing Xing held up a bowl of rice porridge, and was so anxious she stamped her foot, “Duke, you’ve only eaten this little bit these past few days, you’ve gotten so thin already!”

Xiao Zuo waved his hand, and pulled his mouth to smile, “I really am not hungry, it’s alright, go do your own things.”

“Duke!” Qing Xing still wanted to say more, but the steward knocked on the door and said, “Duke, his Majesty has instructed to have you enter the palace today in the afternoon.” Xiao Zuo acknowledged it, so Qing Xing could only put down the rice porridge in her hands, and help him change clothes. When preparations were complete, the driver at the entrance long already pressed them a few good times.

Xiao Zuo got down from the carriage in front of the palace gates, and narrowed his eyes, carefully looking at Jin’s extensive palace doors.

Compared to Nan Liang’s detailed and delicate carvings, Jin’s palace doors appeared much more imposing and grand, missing a bit of a decorative air. He stared for a very long time, and when the guard to the side who followed him in the palace called him a few times, he then moved away his gaze, and walked towards the warm pavilion.

The warm pavilion was still warm like spring. The scent of ambergris mixed in with the sweetness of the cakes in slivers, stimulating Xiao Zuo’s empty, acid-filled stomach. He bowed down with a pale face, and was granted a seat by He Heng.

He Heng ate the sweet cake a maid fed to the mouth, and knitted his eyebrows, carefully looking at him once from head to toe. Xiao Zuo stiffly clutched one half of the seat he was sitting on like he was covered in thin ice. After a long time, He Heng said, “How have you gotten so thin? Have you not been accustomed to Jin yet?” Xiao Zuo hurriedly denied it, “No no no, just that…… this subject typically has a weak body.” He Heng looked at him again, and did not continue entangling with this topic, then casually asked about the trivial things in his daily life, then let him go back.

Just as he stepped out the warm pavilion, he encountered a He Yang here to greet He Heng. His hands held a box of cakes, still wearing that precious fox coat of his. When seeing Xiao Zuo come over, he lifted his eyebrows and asked, “Is this not the Nan Hun Duke?”

Xiao Zuo’s steps paused, turned to look at He Yang, but did not recognize him immediately. The guard to the side kindly reminded him with a small voice, “It’s the fourth prince.” Xiao Zuo paused, and then pursed his lips, and bowed, “Greetings to the Fourth Highness.”

He Yang nodded his head, “I see that the Nan Hun Duke is not looking too fair, has the crown prince not treated you well?” After finishing, he sighed, and shook his head with a great fuss, “That Brother the Crown Prince of mine is busy with the affairs of the country, if there is something lacking, and the Duke does not find it convenient to find him, it is the same to go find me.”

“Thank you your Highness for the graces.” The private and public fight between He Yang and He Xuan truly did not stop for a single moment. Xiao Zuo did not want to be involved, and casually went through with the steps, “Jin has vast lands with rich resources, everything is good, your Highness needs not to trouble himself.”

He Yang shrugged his shoulders, did not say anymore, and passed by him, then went into the pavilion.

“Father, yesterday, this son had the royal kitchen especially make your favourite red date cake, try it.” Before He Yang even stepped into the room, he could not wait to present it from afar. He Heng probably revelled in this tactic of his, and immediately happily had him open the food box, and pick up a piece and placed it in the mouth.

“Not bad, not bad, Yang’er has been considerate.” That red date cake was steamed to the point it turned all transparent. The soft and glutinous nature of the glutinous rice and the refreshing sweetness of the big dates together immediately melted in the mouth, filling the mouth with a refreshing fragrance. He Heng narrowed his eyes, and seemingly casually said, “Iz called the Nan Hun Duke in just now, it looked like he has thinned quite a bit.”

“Big Brother the Crown Prince is busy with the country’s affairs, and I’m afraid he only has the heart, but no strength.” He Yang sighed, “This son does not have much miscellaneous affairs, and is willing to share the burdens with Father.”

“No need to bother, Fourth Brother.” He Xuan, with a sunken face, stepped into the palace with big steps, looked at the sitting He Yang, then gave a big bow towards He Heng, saying, “It is this son who was careless, and has especially come to ask for forgiveness from Father, I ask that Father lay punishment.”

“Xuan’er, rise.” He Heng took apart a rice cracker, and used some green tea to rinse the throat, then brushed off the crumbs from the clothes, and slowly lifted up his hand, “It may not some important matter, but if someone with intent were to see, it would be hard to avoid giving people an excuse, and say that our Jin has no tolerance for others.”

He Xuan knitted his eyebrows and was about to speak, but He Heng spoke up again, “Xuan’er has been inconsiderate with this matter, however, Yang’er, I have another task for you, you needn’t be so anxious to fight for food with your big brother.”

“Father is correct, it was this son who was obtuse.” He Yang scratched his head, and slyly narrowed his eyes and smiled, then eagerly held up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for He Heng, and sent it to the side of his mouth, “Father is benevolent as he is powerful, do not brood over this with this son.”

“Oh, you child.” He Heng reached out and stroked He Yang’s hair, with his tone quite pampering.