Chapter 31

Hearing that a young lady wished to see them, Xu and Liu were both greatly puzzled and deeply suspicious, fearing it might be a trick by their enemies to lure them into opening the door. As they hesitated, they heard a gentle and melodious female voice from outside the door: "This is Huang Ying'er, I come to pay my respects. Please, Daoist Liu, open the door and let us talk."

Hearing that there was indeed a lady outside, Xu and Liu were somewhat relieved, but they did not completely let down their guard. Liu Wendong stood up to open the door, while Xu Shaoguo secretly held a gun, standing by the door to be ready for any unexpected situation.

The courtyard gate opened, and there stood the inn's attendant, Sanbao, with a broad smile on his face. Behind him were two young ladies. The one at the back wore a green dress, though she was quite pretty, she was only about thirteen or fourteen years old and did not attract much attention. The one in front, however, was exceptionally graceful and elegant. Her hair was neatly tied up, and her delicate face was unadorned. She had a slender waist and a well-proportioned figure, and her apricot-yellow dress made her look fresh and natural, giving a sense of comfort and ease. Upon closer inspection, one could sense a delicate and charming femininity that made all men's hearts flutter.

Liu Wendong's guard was completely gone, and he just stood there, staring at the beautiful lady in front of him. The lady in the yellow dress, who was used to such reactions, maintained her smile and waited for him to come to his senses. The attendant Sanbao, on the other hand, wanted to laugh but dared not, his face turning red and his neck swelling with discomfort. The younger lady in green, however, had no such reservations and couldn't help but giggle at Liu Wendong's expression. The lady in yellow turned and gave her a stern look, and she quickly covered her mouth, lowering her head to hide her laughter.

The young lady's giggle finally brought Liu Wendong back to his senses. He cleared his throat twice to cover his embarrassment, then clasped his hands and said, "May the Buddha of Infinite Life bless you. I don't seem to know you, young lady. What brings you here?"

The lady in yellow curtsied and replied, "I am Huang Ying'er, and this is my younger sister, Yuan'er. I have some matters I wish to discuss with Daoist Liu. May I have the honor of speaking with you in the courtyard?"

Although Liu Wendong was still puzzled, he couldn't bring himself to refuse a young and beautiful lady. He gestured with his hand and said, "If so, please come in, Miss Huang."

Huang Ying'er was delighted that he had not refused her entry. She turned to thank the attendant Sanbao, then called the young lady in green, Yuan'er, to enter the courtyard. Xu Shaoguo, who had been hiding behind the door, now relaxed and stepped out. However, like Liu Wendong, he was momentarily stunned by the sight of the lady in yellow. It was only after Liu Wendong nudged him that he came to his senses, his expression equally awkward as he looked at the giggling Yuan'er.

Liu Wendong invited the lady in yellow to sit down, poured her a cup of tea, and asked, "What brings you here, Miss Huang? Please be straightforward."

Huang Ying'er hesitated slightly and then asked, "To be honest, Daoist, I am also staying at this inn. Last night, when I returned from a walk, I passed by the courtyard where you are staying and heard a lady singing. Her voice was so beautiful, and the melody was quite unique, something I had never heard before. The lyrics were also exquisite. Although I can read some poetry, I have never heard this particular piece before. I spent the whole night trying to figure out who wrote it, but I couldn't. So, I came here today to ask who the singer is and who wrote the lyrics. If you could kindly enlighten me, I would be most grateful."

Liu Wendong inwardly groaned upon hearing her request. The singer was easy to explain—Lin Xiaoyu was in the room and could be brought out. However, the author of "When Did the Bright Moon Appear" would be hard to find, as it would require another time travel. Although he studied chemistry and knew little about poetry, he did know that the author was Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, a figure from the Northern Song Dynasty. According to Zhang Weixin, it was still the Later Zhou period, and the Northern Song had not even been established yet. How could he find Su Dongpo, whose father might not have been born yet?

As he hesitated, unsure of how to respond, the door opened, and Hong Yan and Lin Xiaoyu walked out. They had been talking privately in the room and, being women, naturally wanted to see who was speaking in the courtyard.

After the two ladies sat down next to their beloved, Hong Yan asked in a gentle yet slightly wary tone, "Brother, who is this lady?" Liu Wendong, glad for the distraction, quickly shifted the topic and said to Hong Yan, "Sister, this is Miss Huang Ying'er. She is also staying at this inn. She loves music and heard Lin Xiaoyu singing last night, so she came to meet the singer." He then introduced them, "Miss Huang, this is Daoist Lin, the singer from last night. Lin Xiaoyu, this is Miss Huang Ying'er." Liu Wendong hoped that this would shift Miss Huang's attention from the author to the person in front of her.

After the introductions, the three ladies exchanged greetings. Although Miss Huang Ying'er was young, she was quite experienced. From the expressions and actions of the two female Daoists, she guessed that they were not just fellow disciples but also couples, or even married. However, she knew that many Daoist sects did not prohibit romantic relationships, so encountering two couples in an inn was not unusual.

Upon learning that the lady in the yellow dress was the singer from last night, Huang Ying'er became enthusiastic. She praised Lin Xiaoyu's voice, calling it heavenly and unique. The compliments made Lin Xiaoyu quite embarrassed, and she modestly replied that Miss Huang was too kind.

After exchanging more compliments, Lin Xiaoyu, impressed by Huang Ying'er's refined manners, asked, "Miss Huang, you have the air of a well-bred lady. You must be from a wealthy family, right?"

To her surprise, Huang Ying'er's expression suddenly turned somber, and a hint of helplessness appeared on her face. Lin Xiaoyu realized she had asked an inappropriate question, likely touching on a painful past. Just as she was about to offer comfort, Huang Ying'er took a deep breath, her expression returning to calm, and said, "Daoist Lin, please don't be offended. It's not that I'm hiding anything, but the past is the past, and it's best not to dwell on it."

Since she had said so, Lin Xiaoyu and the others did not press further. They chatted for a while, and just as Liu Wendong was relieved that Miss Huang had forgotten about the author, she asked earnestly, "Since Daoist Lin can sing 'When Did the Bright Moon Appear,' you must know the author. Could you please tell me who wrote it to fulfill my wish?"

Liu Wendong, who had been about to celebrate, immediately became nervous. He quickly picked up his teacup, lowered his head, and pretended to drink, hoping to avoid being asked. Lin Xiaoyu, though she liked the song, knew little about its background and looked at Liu Wendong for help, only to see the top of his head. She then turned to Xu Shaoguo for assistance.

Xu Shaoguo, a seasoned military man, could easily talk about ancient wars or famous generals, but he knew nothing about ancient poetry. However, he couldn't ignore his beloved's plea. After a moment's thought, a name flashed through his mind, and he decided to use it. He steeled himself, said a silent apology to the person, and then confidently stated, "Miss Huang, to be honest, the author of this poem is not a stranger. He is my senior, Daoist Zhang Weixin."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoyu and Hong Yan were momentarily stunned, and Liu Wendong, who had just taken a sip of tea, nearly choked, coughing uncontrollably. Hong Yan quickly patted his back and wiped the water from his mouth with a handkerchief. Xu Shaoguo, however, remained calm and unaffected by his friend's distress.

Huang Ying'er seemed not to notice their reactions. Upon hearing that the author was Xu Shaoguo's senior, she asked eagerly, "If so, is Daoist Zhang currently in Liangxiang City? If not, where is he practicing?"

Xu Shaoguo replied, "My senior did not come to Liangxiang City this time. He, like me, is practicing at Baojin Mountain's Yuxu Palace, not far from here."

Huang Ying'er was delighted. Yuxu Palace must be nearby, and finding Daoist Zhang should not be difficult. She thanked them repeatedly and then stood up, saying, "I have troubled you all for a long time. My wish is fulfilled, so I will take my leave. I hope to see you all again."

After escorting her to the door, they saw her enter the opposite courtyard, realizing that she was staying right across from them.

Huang Ying'er entered the courtyard, followed by Yuan'er, who closed the gate behind them. In the courtyard, a tall and robust young man was carving something out of wood. Upon seeing them, he quickly put down his work and bowed to Huang Ying'er. As she walked into the house, she asked, "Ke Fu, has Uncle Yang returned?"

The young man respectfully replied, "Miss, Uncle Yang has just returned from Youzhou City and is waiting for you."

Huang Ying'er, delighted, said, "Uncle Yang has returned. I will go see him now." She then quickly walked into the room.

Inside, a middle-aged man was sitting in a chair, drinking tea. He was not very tall and had a slightly hunched back. Though only about forty, his hair was already slightly gray. His face, marked by deep wrinkles, bore the signs of a hard life. His eyes were small and somewhat dull. He held a teacup in his right hand, savoring the tea. Upon closer inspection, one could see that his left sleeve was empty, pinned to his waist, indicating that he was a one-armed man. Upon seeing Huang Ying'er enter, he quickly put down his teacup, stood up, and bowed, saying, "I greet you, Miss."

Huang Ying'er quickly supported him, scolding, "Uncle Yang, how many times have I told you not to call me 'Miss' or 'Lady'? You are now my uncle, and you can just call me Ying'er."

The man, known as Uncle Yang, smiled and said, "That's not possible. Since I followed the Prince, I have always been a servant of the Yang family. Even though the Prince is no longer with us, you are still my master in my eyes. If it weren't for the fear of drawing attention, I would call you 'Princess.'"

Hearing this, Huang Ying'er's expression darkened, and she said sadly, "Princess? I am no longer a princess. Princess Yang Xiaoyun died the moment she escaped from the Prince's mansion over a decade ago. The Huang Ying'er who lives now is just a courtesan in Yangzhou, struggling to survive. If it weren't for Mama Huang's protection, I might have lost my virtue long ago."

Uncle Yang sighed, feeling guilty, "It's all my fault. Not only could I not protect the Princess, but I also made her, a young girl, sacrifice her most precious virtue to support me in the brothel. I, Yang Yongzhong, am truly unworthy of the Prince and the Princess." He then beat his thigh and shed tears.

Huang Ying'er quickly went to his side and comforted him, "How can this be your fault? If it weren't for you, who risked losing an arm to save my mother and me, we would have died with Father over a decade ago. You are our savior, and we can never repay you enough. When Mother died, I was still young, and it was you, despite your disability, who worked hard to raise me, only to end up with a sickly body. I call you Uncle, but you always refuse. Besides, I didn't become a courtesan because of you. You tried to dissuade me for a long time. I went to the Yingli轩 to survive and to repay Mama Huang for her years of care."

After venting his frustration, Uncle Yang's mood improved slightly, and he sighed, "You are a truly unfortunate child. When you were less than a year old, the Prince suffered a great calamity, and the entire family was killed. Only the Princess and you were saved by me and managed to escape. After many hardships, we arrived in Yangzhou, where the Princess did laundry and I worked hard to make ends meet. The Princess died of illness after a few years of overwork, and my health deteriorated. Thanks to Mama Huang's help, we managed to survive. But after a few years of stability, Mama Huang fell ill and passed away."

Huang Ying'er also sighed, "Fortunately, Mama Huang revealed the secrets of the Feiyan Hall to me before she died and gave me the relevant tokens. This allowed me to use the power of the Feiyan Hall to escape the clutches of the nobles who coveted my beauty. Although I am still somewhat constrained, it is far better than being a plaything for those shameless nobles." She then sighed again, shook her head to clear her mind, and said, "Let's not talk about these sad things. Uncle Yang, did you find out about Mama Huang's sister during your trip to Youzhou City?"

Hearing this, Uncle Yang sighed again, "Alas, it's no wonder I said you are a unfortunate child. I found out that Mama Huang's sister, Huang Mengyuan, originally ran a large brothel in Youzhou City called Qingxue Lou, which was quite successful. She had a close relationship with the head of the prominent Lu family, Lu Zuchang, who provided her with much support, making her well-connected in Youzhou City. She was the perfect candidate to establish a branch of the Feiyan Hall. Unfortunately, her fate was tied to the Lu family.

Two years ago, a cousin of one of the favorite concubines of the Liao capital's governor, Xiao Siwen, went to Qingxue Lou for pleasure and got into an argument with the Lu family's eldest son, Lu Congxiao. The young Lu, not knowing the other's background, impulsively killed him. This caused a major scandal. The concubine, who had been raised by her uncle, was very close to her cousin and refused to let the matter rest. Using her influence over Xiao Siwen and his desire to seize the Lu family's vast wealth, she convinced him to take action.

Xiao Siwen accused the Lu family of treason, and over a hundred family members, including many distant relatives, were arrested and either executed or exiled. The Lu family was almost completely wiped out. Huang Mengyuan, because the incident occurred in her brothel and she had close ties with the Lu family, was also implicated. Although she managed to save her life through bribes, her brothel was sealed, and she was left penniless. When I saw her, she was already seriously ill and bedridden. In her current state, she can no longer help us, so I didn't say much. I told her that her sister had entrusted me to visit her and left some money before returning."

After hearing Uncle Yang's account, Huang Ying'er was silent for a long time. She had not expected such a result after traveling so far. However, she couldn't blame Mama Huang, as they had not been in contact for three or four years due to various reasons. Without Huang Mengyuan's help, completing the Feiyan Hall's mission would be nearly impossible. She was unsure what to do next. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Uncle Yang, what should we do now?"

Uncle Yang thought for a moment and replied, "In my opinion, with our current strength, it's impossible to establish ourselves in Youzhou City. I think we should quickly contact the Feiyan Hall's branch in Ding and Zhen regions and report our situation. I believe the headquarters will have a solution, and we just need to wait for new orders."

Huang Ying'er nodded and said, "That's the only option now. We'll stay here for a while, and I'll send Ke Fu to Dingzhou tomorrow."

Uncle Yang agreed and went out to inform the young man in the courtyard.

Huang Ying'er returned to her bedroom, sat in front of the dressing table, and looked at the slightly blurry image in the bronze mirror, as if it foreshadowed her uncertain future.