Chapter 2 Yu Cheng Fu

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Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Ye Cheng Fu

Chapter 2:

“Look, the Spring Probe has been mesmerized our master!” someone giggled.

Upon hearing “Spring Probe,” I suddenly felt something was off. With so many men, such complex traps, and that kick earlier—this didn’t seem like a simple theft case!

“The Brocade Courtesan competition is approaching,” the man on the bed finally spoke. His voice was refined but carried an unsettling coldness. “For the sake of winning the title, you from the Xichun Pavilion have even sent out a Spring Probe and used such despicable methods. Even if you win the title, will you be able to sleep soundly? Do you remember the Xunfang Pavilion incident three years ago?”

“Spring Probe? Xichun Pavilion?” I was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about?” The man stood up and approached me, looking down at me from a height, his voice cold. “Did the Xichun Pavilion only buy you, or did they buy many like you?”

“What are you talking about…”

© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

I was still bewildered. The man frowned, glanced at a nearby youth, who immediately kicked me in the stomach and scolded, “Stop pretending! Tell us quickly!” He turned to the white-clad man and said, “Master, don’t waste words. Let us beat her up first to vent our anger!”

“Yes! Last time, Brother Fengyin suffered because of this Spring Probe. We’ll make her pay today!”

The more they spoke, the more agitated they became. Someone even threw a punch at me.

I was furious. In my entire life, not even the Empress had dared to beat me like this. In this unclear situation, I was being attacked by a group of people! Was there no justice, no morality! I had never even heard of a place called Feng Lou... Wait!

As fists came down on me in a flash, I suddenly realized.

What kind of place was Feng Lou?

Feng Lou was the largest, wealthiest, most renowned brothel in the Great Chu, famous for its numerous beauties!

As soon as I realized this, the word "presumptuous" that was about to escape my lips was abruptly swallowed.

It was one thing to be beaten or captured anywhere, but being mistaken for a Spring Probe and beaten in a brothel—I’m sorry, I couldn’t afford this humiliation, and neither could the Shu family.

So, I slowly closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and endured the storm of punches and kicks.

I consoled myself in my mind, thinking that a group of courtesans wouldn’t go so far as to kill me, right? I just needed to endure it, and once they were done, I’d sneak back home. After all, I’d been beaten by my master many times since I was young, so this was nothing.

But I was still too naïve and too young.

Courtesans were something beyond my imagination. Did you think that after beating me, they would just stop?

"Hey, this position isn't very convenient for beating," one courtesan's voice said after a while. The punches slowed down, and everyone fell into contemplation.

"But this position seems quite convenient for other things," another courtesan had a flash of inspiration, and everyone immediately cheered: "Hurry and get the tools!"

"Candles, quickly, bring the candles over!"

"And the small whips! Quickly!"

Everyone began to search for tools, and a wave of immense fear surged in my heart. Although I didn’t know what they intended to do with these items and I wasn’t clear about what they were capable of, I knew that it would be something far more cruel and terrifying than just beating me.

I couldn’t help but scream: "Let me go!! This is illegal! I’m Shu Cheng! I’m the heir of the Shu family, Shu Cheng! Help! They’re going to kill me! They’re setting a fire!! Help! Ahhh!!"

People used to tell me that the most terrifying thing in the world wasn’t a real villain but a hypocrite. But now I finally understand that the most terrifying thing in the world is neither a hypocrite nor a real villain, but—courtesans.

They were violent and cruel, with vivid imaginations and strong execution skills.

They quickly gathered various tools, and I finally set aside my pride and loudly shouted my name.

Upon hearing my name, the courtesans burst into laughter.

The young man in plain clothes, who had changed into a deep blue silk robe, sat down to the side, idly playing with a fan. He said, "Since Shen Ye started running Feng Lou, the name of the heir of the Shu family has come up no less than twenty times. Some were for overdue payments and attempts to run away, and some were pretentious. But this is the first time I've seen someone claiming to be the Shu heir as a Spring Probe."

"I really am Shu Cheng..." Hearing this, I was on the verge of tears. I couldn’t help but think that being too famous is indeed troublesome; even cases of overdue payments had my name associated with them.

Seeing my tearful face, Shen Ye chuckled lightly and said, "Oh, so you are indeed Lord Shu? Well then, let's go to Xichun Pavilion now. Surely, there will be someone you know there. I just wonder whether it will be the Pavilion Master of Xichun Pavilion or another official who recognizes you."

He raised his hand and said, "Boys, bind her up, and let's head to Xichun Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, I knew things were bad. In the noble circles, there are very few people I don't know, and if he takes me in like this, I won’t be able to show my face again.

So I struggled desperately, but the courtesan in pink who had been kicking me was obviously a skilled fighter with great strength. He held me down and bound me up like a rice dumpling.

After binding me, Shen Ye strolled over with his fan, and seeing the despair on my face, he lightly lifted my chin with the fan and examined my face. "Oh, Lord Shu, your face is in quite a state now. You should really get it tidied up!"

He said this with a smile and waved his hand. The nearby people immediately came over with giggles and started to paint my face and bind something to my head.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that my face had been painted with the words “I am Shu Cheng” in large characters, a small turtle drawn on my forehead, and two large rabbit ears made of white silk ribbon tied to my head, swaying with my movements.

I was so angry that my whole body trembled, but the people around me just laughed and cheered as they carried me out.

Shen Ye put on a gauze hat and led the group out while singing.

"Rascals… bandits… bastards!" I cursed loudly in anger, but the louder I cursed, the happier they laughed, and more people gathered to watch. Thankfully, it was already late at night. When we arrived at Xichun Pavilion, Shen Ye, walking at the front, casually kicked open the door and loudly declared, "My dear brother, the Spring Probe you sent is quite something—turns out it's none other than the heir of the Shu family! I’m truly shocked."

Saying that, he had me sent to the stage. He lifted the bangs off my forehead, revealing the little turtle, and greeted the crowd who were staring blankly at the center of the stage: "Come, come, come, everyone, take a look and help me see if this visiting envoy I captured tonight is our Young Lord Shu Cheng? I heard that Young Lord Shu has had two failed engagements, and one of them even had a child. She can truly be called the number one turtle of Great Chu. What do you all think? Did I draw this turtle well?"

Reaching this point, he looked at the crowd with satisfaction. No one dared to speak, maintaining their initial posture, not even daring to breathe loudly.

I couldn't open my eyes anymore and could only close them and pretend to be dead. Shen Ye seemed to finally notice something was wrong and froze in place. There was only one pink-clad man with a face full of powder running down from the corridor, yelling from afar: "Third Young Master Shen, you damned scoundrel! I haven't even looked for you, yet you dare to come after me!"

However, halfway through his run, upon seeing me and then looking at the crowd, he thought for a moment and immediately turned around to run back into the corridor and hide in a room.

As the sound of him closing the door echoed, a minor official finally thought of something, knelt down, and said, “This subordinate greets Young Lord Shu Cheng.”

With that, the others quickly reacted, calling for people to close the main doors and then one after another kneeling down.

I, with rabbit ears on my head, was trembling with anger on the stage. Shen Ye seemed to be trembling a bit too. After a moment, he lifted his veil and suddenly smiled with a coquettish expression, patting my head and saying, “You’re such a bad person, Young Lord Shu Cheng. Everyone really recognized you, so I’ve lost!”

Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but shiver, staring blankly at him. I thought to myself that this person changed his attitude too quickly. But then, he bit his lip and glanced at me. The look in his eyes, filled with a flow of emotions, stirred a storm in my heart. When I was young, my teacher used to talk about "sending autumn waves" with a glance, and I never quite understood it. However, at this moment, I finally got it—some people’s eyes can indeed convey boundless affection with just a glance.

But the problem is—this person just beat me up! This person just had a group of people beat me up!

How could there be any tender feelings between us? So such a gaze feels too hypocritical! Too pretentious! It only fills me with a desire to hit him! I want to hit him, I want to beat him to death, I want to make him suffer painfully!

My emotions churned for a while before finally calming down. I’m not stupid; I understood he was giving me a way out. I could only open my eyes, grit my teeth, and deceitfully say, “Hehehe… Yes… I knew everyone would recognize me… Hehehe… Please untie me, I need to go back and remove this garish makeup.”

With this, the previously tense atmosphere finally lightened. A notorious outspoken lady from a prominent family was the first to burst into laughter, raising her glass and saying, “I thought Young Lord Shu was above such trivial matters, but it turns out she enjoys a bit of fun!”

The crowd joined in. Standing on the stage, I allowed Shen Ye to untie me and remove the white silk from my head. After a while of forced laughter and mingling, I used the excuse of removing my makeup to take Shen Ye’s arm and head back to Feng Lou.

On the way back, the sky was already starting to brighten. A group of courtesans followed behind, not daring to speak. I was so enraged that I entered a state of detachment, limping back with Shen Ye’s support.

Once back at Feng Lou, the courtesans helped me wash up. I finally looked somewhat presentable. Though the bruises on my face hadn't fully faded, they were much improved compared to before. By now, the sky was fully light, and the noise outside was deafening. Shen Ye, along with all the courtesans from Feng Lou, had lined up from inside the building all the way to the outside.

I couldn't understand where all the time had gone, but these courtesans had already changed into their outfits, each one looking more beautiful than the last. Only Shen Ye stood out with his original, clean face now covered in heavy makeup. His eyebrows were completely obscured, his thin lips painted with bright red lipstick, and a thick, short line drawn with charcoal over his brows made him look quite grotesque. If not for his jewel-like eyes, I would have had a hard time recognizing him as the stunning beauty from the night before.

He knelt respectfully before me, and I gazed at him in silence. After much thought, I decided that, as a noble lady, I should show some grace and said, “Let’s just forget about last night…”

As soon as I spoke, his eyes suddenly filled with tears. I was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend how he could switch to crying so quickly.

He took a few steps forward on his knees and suddenly hugged my legs, whispering in anguish, “Please don’t abandon me, my lord!”

“What… what are you talking about?” My mind couldn't process it.

“You said last night that you played with Third Young Master and even hugged his waist, taking him back to Feng Lou.”

“Who is Third Young Master?” I was completely confused.

Shen Ye looked up at me, his eyes glistening with emotion, and said, “My lord, Third Young Master is me. I am Shen Ye, also known as Third Young Master Shen.”

I was stunned.

“Are you planning to renege on your promise, my lord?” His eyes brimmed with tears again. “Third Young Master has worked hard to manage Feng Lou all alone and has never received favors from other lords. Years ago, Third Young Master promised to follow only one lord. Since you publicly acknowledged being Third Young Master’s partner yesterday, if you abandon Third Young Master now, how will Third Young Master survive?!”

Hearing those words, my shock was beyond description.

I stared blankly at the sorrowful man in front of me and cautiously recalled, “Last night… it was you who drew the turtle on my face, wasn’t it?”

Upon hearing this, Third Young Master immediately lowered his head in embarrassment, snapped open his fan, and coquettishly said, “My lord, how could you bring up the playful things from last night?”

My stomach churned, but I forced a smile and said, “The way you play in Feng Lou is truly unique… but no matter what, I have no further relations with you. You follow your own path, and I’ll follow mine. We’ll have no more dealings with each other.”

With that, I tried to leave, but my attempts to break free were useless. Looking down, I saw that a bunch of small courtesans had clung tightly to my legs.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and finally mustered all my strength. With a powerful kick, I flipped over and jumped out of the window.

I used the fastest speed of my life to rush back home, not even bothering with the main entrance. I leaped straight into my own room. Once inside, feeling the familiar surroundings, I finally felt a sense of security and collapsed onto my bed, falling into a deep sleep.

However, when I woke up, I smelled a faint plum blossom fragrance in the room, and I suddenly felt a sense of dread.

As I slowly opened my eyes, sure enough, I saw Third Young Master sitting by the bed, his face heavily powdered, watching me gently. The moment I was about to speak, he slowly said, “You’re awake? I still need the money from last night. Third Young Master came to the Shu family to collect it personally. Your mother is such a kind person; she heard my request and sent me over.”

“Are you thirsty?” he asked, gently handing me a cup of water. “Last night’s total was five hundred taels. Would you prefer to pay with banknotes or cash?”

I remained silent, my lips trembling, unable to say a word. He gave a shy smile, lowered his head, and took out a letter from his sleeve.

The letter was one I had delivered on behalf of Shangguan Wan’er and placed at his bedside. He spoke gently, “Last night, I mistook you for a spring probe envoy sent by Xichun Pavilion. I’m truly sorry for the offense.”

“What exactly is a spring probe envoy?” I hurriedly asked, eager to get an answer.

Third Young Master cleared his throat and said with a hint of pride, “You see, in the world of pleasure houses, the most important role is the courtesan who becomes the Flower Queen. Each year, every pleasure house sends a courtesan to compete in the Flower Queen contest. This courtesan must be pure, which is why some pleasure houses use underhanded methods to send skilled women to their establishments to defile the courtesans intended for the competition. These women who engage in such business are called spring probe envoys.”

Hearing this, I was nearly enraged and shouted, “So, they’re nothing but lecherous criminals!? Do I look like such a person?!”

“Like…” he blurted out, but then quickly came to his senses and hurriedly added, “Not at all! You, as a noble lady, are far from that. The first time Third Young Master met you, I was amazed. It’s extraordinary to see such a transcendent lady. I secretly admired you. But last night, when we received the report from our scouts that Xichun Pavilion had sent a spring probe envoy, I pretended to be one of our courtesans lying on the bed, and you sneaked in, which naturally led to misunderstandings. You should have clarified earlier!”

“Clarified what?” I was a bit confused. Hadn't I already made it clear that I was Shu Cheng?

Hearing this, he lowered his head with a shy smile and handed me the letter I had sent earlier.

I hesitated to take it, but upon glancing at it, I couldn’t help but clutch my chest. This letter was poison! Shangguan Wan'er, I will definitely end our friendship…

I looked at the letter, noting the effusive language and the final signature. Instead of using an appropriate name, Shangguan Wan’er had signed it as “Qingqing.” Everyone in the Chu Kingdom knew that when I was born, the late Emperor personally bestowed the name Shu Cheng, with the courtesy name Yanqing…

“So you came to deliver a love letter to me…” Third Young Master said, blushing, and finally couldn’t help but cover his face, shyly saying, “If you had mentioned it earlier, I would have agreed immediately!”

I was silent, clutching the letter, feeling like a thunderstorm was brewing. From a distance, I could hear Shangguan Wan’er’s voice. Before she even entered, she said, “I heard you had a good time at the Phoenix Tower last night and even had the owner, Third Young Master Shen, all to yourself? Didn’t I ask you to go to the Left General’s residence? You went to…”

Before she could finish, she froze at the door. Seeing me, who was furious, and Third Young Master Shen, who was covering his face, she thought for a moment and said, “I’ll leave first?”

•••

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Chapter 2 Yu Cheng Fu

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