Chapter Twenty: Tonight's Song and Dance Rise to Great Heights

  The four-sided building has a high pavilion in the middle, and Qingchen likes to sit on the roof of the pavilion at night to look at Yige City. The city's lights are brilliant under the night sky, and compared to its grandeur during the day, it has a more mysterious flavor at night. The hidden bustle is especially enticing, and sometimes there is also a warm feeling.

  Across the dark night, the scene is somewhat unreal, yet it is precisely this that makes people willing to indulge for a moment, thinking about what kind of red dust world lies in the unseen depths of the lamp shadow.

  From here, the brightest spot in front of you is the Tian Wu Zui Fang, which was once desolate. Now it's bustling with music and dance, luxurious cars and horses, and guests pouring in. Except for the initial period of decoration, Qing Chen didn't often go there after business got on track. The nominal master of Tian Wu Zui Fang is Su Niang.

  Su Niang helped Xie Jing manage the affairs of Sima Lou for many years, with meticulous thoughts and cleverness. The Hu girls in Tian Wu Zui Fang were well-trained under her hands, giving people peace of mind. At the lowest point of Song Dance House, Sima Lou bought several song houses at a low price, and indeed, within a month or so, Tian Wu Zui Fang slowly regained its former prosperity. Tian Wu Zui Fang was reorganized at this time, with its unique dance moves and new songs like a strong wind sweeping through Yi Ge, also bringing other song and dance houses along. The previous incident quietly faded away.

  You withdrew your gaze from afar, and the four-sided building in front of you was quiet. Through the crystal lanterns, only faint whispers could be heard, with soft music and few people thinking that Tian Wu Zui Fang and Si Mian Lou were run by the same person.

  The women in the four-sided building who were good at singing and dancing weren't the most outstanding. These days, she selected clever ones from among the original women and personally instructed them on poetry and etiquette according to the standards of a lady-in-waiting, strictly discussing their speech, teaching them zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, wine art, and tea ceremony. Some of the more spirited women showed remarkable improvement after a few pointers. In order to teach, she herself also learned, always ready to respond to the young masters' queries about this or that, feeling that her own poetry, books, zither, and chess had greatly improved, with no small gain.

  The present-day Sifanglou is joyful and has dancing, quiet and has tea fragrance, has wine to make people drunk but not decadent, has beauty to accompany but not dissolute, can be called high-quality and elegant, interest clear and fresh. The number of visitors here is not very large, but they are either high-ranking aristocrats who spend money lavishly or famous scholars and poets, slowly creating a good reputation in the Tianyi Pavilion.

  You were just playing the qin in the small Lan Pavilion on the second floor, and during the day, you were a handsome young man with a fluttering fan. At night, behind the heavy curtains, your divine skills on the qin shocked everyone present. The reason why the name of the Four-sided Building is so well-known is not unrelated to this. As for Xie Jing, she only said that she had invited her younger sister Wenyan over to help, but Xie Jing had never actually seen this so-called "Wenyan", yet he didn't seem suspicious at all, and didn't even ask a single question.

  After the autumn, the night wind has gradually become cold. You dust slightly raised her head, and when she focused, a few points of clear light fell into her eyes, lightly flashing the memories that have been eternal but gradually distant. She remembered that not long ago, on a lonely night, she was also sitting alone under the starry sky, and at that time, she saw a pair of deep eyes, with the vast starry sky falling into them, bringing a clear and cold peace. I don't know if the owner of this pair of eyes is safe now, maybe one day they can meet again in Yiguo City, which is also a pleasant thing to think about. Just as she was smiling to herself, someone suddenly said beside her: "Wenqing, you're really here."

  She was startled, but she didn't need to turn her head to know it was Xie Jing. This person seemed to never make a sound when walking, and she even suspected that he hadn't climbed up the stairs like herself from the attic, but had flown up instead. With a bitter smile, she said: "Please, Brother Xie, next time you appear, could you please make some noise? Otherwise, one of these days I'll be scared to death."

  Xie Jing smiled and said: "Another day I'll come up front and first inform Wen Qing by beating drums and gongs below."

  "You'll see, tomorrow the news will spread like wildfire in Yige City. The new program at the Four-sided Building will feature a monkey show, starring Old Master Xie himself. Only three copper coins per show, it's going to be fantastic."

  The two are now familiar with each other, calling each other brothers and teasing each other without hesitation. With a smile, he sat down beside her: "I heard you bought another song house, the price of song houses is not like before, it seems not to be the right time?"

  "You're looking at the night market lights and smiling: 'I was just about to tell you, this business might be a losing deal, so I plan to run it myself, lest I drag you down with me.'"

  "Oh? Didn't you say it was a business deal? Would you mind telling me what kind of business it is that you're willing to lose money on?" Xie Jing asked.

  "You think that music house I want to change into a hospital, gather the best doctors in the world and treat illnesses. This is not about making money, or maybe even open a charity hall below it, which would still lose money."

  Xie Jing said with a strange expression: "How did you suddenly think of opening a medical clinic?"

  "You've learned a set of medical skills since childhood, so it's not a waste. Besides, there's no end to making money, and now that we have some small gains, it doesn't matter where we take it from or use it."

  Xie Jingdao said: "Are you going to withdraw from the business of Sima Mansion?"

  "You're making so much money from this business, how can I bear to give it up?"

  Xie Jing looked down at the courtyard and joked, "It's not that good, but if this four-sided building continues to make money like this, I'm afraid that in half a year, I won't even be willing to give it up to you."

  "You can't bear to part with it, so just forget about it, I don't have to buy it."

  Her careless tone made Xie Jing somewhat stunned: "At the beginning, you and I had an agreement, I said no sale, can't you just forget it?"

  "Both the Four-sided Building and the Tianwu Zui Fang, inside and out, are all your and Su Niang's concerns. What you've done, Brother Xie, has long surpassed that contract. Moreover, doing business is profitable, but making friends is even more interesting. I consider you a friend, Brother Xie, and I would never force a friend to do something they don't want to do. If you're not willing to sell the Four-sided Building, then let's just consider that contract null and void."

  Xie Jing's eyes slightly trembled, the four-sided building in front of him was making a fortune, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. But then he heard Wen Qing say something that made him feel even more astonished. He fell silent for a moment before speaking: "After so many years in the business world, Wen Qing is the first person I've ever admired. Having a friend like you is worth more than ten four-sided buildings. Since you have integrity, I won't go back on my word. This four-sided building can be transferred to your name at any time."

  "You're not worried at all, are you? Half a year is still early, what's the hurry?"

  As they spoke, a faint sound of music could be heard, the voice was light and distant as if it were floating in the black night, almost inaudible, but yet seemed clear as if it were right next to their ears. Qing Chen concentrated her mind to listen carefully, it seemed that it wasn't the music from the Four-sided Building, she asked curiously: "Did you hear it? Where is this sound coming from?"

  Xie Jing turned her head and smiled: "Not very clear, maybe it's some song house. Right, I suddenly remembered that I have something to go out for a while."

  "You go ahead, I'll take care of things here."

  In the morning, there were few people in Sima Lou and it was quiet. Qing Chen came down from upstairs and ordered to prepare horses to go out.

  In the front yard, several women wearing loose-fitting dresses were gathered in one place, holding brushes and inkstones, chatting and laughing with each other, making this place seem especially lively.

  You looked back and saw a woman slapping the jade paperweight on the case, standing up and scolding: "Oh! I'm not playing anymore, you guys must be ganging up on me."

  The crowd of women laughed and said, "Look quickly, Lan Xuan is in a hurry to blame!" Everyone looked up and saw Qingchen, and they all bowed and smiled, asking: "Young master has arrived, are you ashamed or not, Lan Xuan?"

  "You're laughing and asking them: 'What are you doing, so lively?'"

  Lan Zhuang hastily invited her to sit down, and then said: "The young master has arrived just in time, look at them still being so proud! They don't know where they got some pairs that are really hard for people, I've already lost several rounds, young master quickly come and take away their prestige."

  The other women teased her: "You brought Lord Gongzi to help you win, but who gets the credit?"

  The paper and ink in front of her were faintly fragrant, the light powder was delicate and beautiful, it was indeed their clever couplet, Qingchen glanced at her and said: "Lanruo must have won the most couplets."

  "Isn't it? Every time she's right and we're wrong. She's already won a green jade hairpin from me!"

  On the side, Huang Yiran in a yellow feather cloak held up two purple jade pendants: "I still have a pair of jade hairpins here!" Lan Xiang tossed over a handkerchief and teased her, Qingchen smiled and said: "Don't you think about the games where you place bets? If you go to compete with Lan Luo in poetry, with Lan Lu in clever calculations, and with Lan Rong in pipa, you won't lose everything. Attacking and defending, winning and losing, rely on one's strengths to overcome others' weaknesses, why don't you play chess with them, who can win against you?"

  "They only thought of this move after losing miserably on the chessboard! No way, young master must help me win back this game first." As she said that, she brought the pink paper to her eyes, and Qingchen saw that it was written: Yu Mei Ren wears red embroidered shoes, walking under the moon with every step so gentle.

  "This couplet is quite clever, and the meaning is also beautiful." She picked up her brush and lightly applied ink, seeing that several other women in the building were practicing zither by the lotus pond in the courtyard. She pointed to them and said to Lan Yu: "Isn't the next couplet right before our eyes?"

  Lan Mei was momentarily at a loss for words, and saw you dusting off your pen to write: "The Water Immortal holds an emerald jade flute, and the wind blows out a gentle melody." Immediately, she clapped her hands and asked Lan Mei, "You have Yu Mei Ren's steps so delicate, but does the young master also have the Water Immortal's gentle melody? Do you admit it?"

  Lan Luo said: "We can't compare to the young master even if we add up, you're so sly! Lan Jing just came up with a pair and I haven't thought of one yet, since the young master helped Lan Zhuang he should also help me."

  "You may as well say it and let me hear?"

  "The rain washes away the ash heap and forms a hemp pile."

  You dust raised your head and looked around, thought for a moment, smiled and pointed to the lotus pond: "You guys are always lingering around our yard, this lower couplet is still there."

  "What's still there?" Lan Mei asked. Lan Xiang looked over, lowered her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

  "Have you thought of it?"

  Lan Lu covered her mouth and lowered her head, saying: "I thought of one, but I don't know if it's the same as what you're thinking, sir. The wind blows on the lotus leaf like... like..."

  "You dust instead of her said: 'The wind blows lotus leaves like a turtle!'"

  All the women burst out laughing at once. Lan Yu smiled and said, "You all lost to the young master, quickly return my jade hairpins!"

  Lan Luo said: "It's still for the young master, you can forget about it!" Lan Xuan said: "The young master isn't a girl, what would he do with those?"

  You can't help but laugh, secretly holding onto the case and smiling, she was just about to go to the pawnshop to redeem her own jade hairpin. Seeing them making a big fuss, she said: "I won't accompany you anymore, I still have to go out. Give you an upper rhyme, whoever matches it, this emerald clasp and jade pendant will be given to her by me."

  "Speak quickly, young master!" they urged. Qingchen's brush danced with fragrant ink, writing a couplet: The sun rises and the moon sets, how many clouds are there?

  Lan Zhuang looked at it and said, "This upper rhyme doesn't seem difficult either."

  Lan Luo thought for a moment and shook her head: "The words look simple, but it's not easy to match. The first half of the couplet describes the scenery of sunrise and sunset, and also mentions the passage of time and the changes of the years. What's most difficult is that there's still a hidden meaning in the second half, which is about calculating accounts and balancing income and expenses. You need to think carefully."

  Lan Zhuo said: "When it comes to calculating income and expenses, Lan Lu is the fastest!"

  "Young Master smiled and stood up: 'Later when I come back, if there's a good match, this young master will reward you again.' As soon as he turned his head, he heard someone in the hall say: 'Tonight, keep the small Lan Pavilion, the wine and dishes are exquisite, the tea is your 'Green Robe' and 'Silk Bamboo', most importantly, Wen Xiang's qin, all take note.'"

  The housekeeper accompanied someone in and said respectfully: "I'll send someone to take care of it right away, Your Highness can rest assured."

  She raised an eyebrow in surprise, hastily turned around, and with a flick of her sleeve, sat back down. Lan Zhuang and the others saw that she had a strange expression, but before they could ask, Ye Tian Liao had already looked over this way, suddenly furrowed his brow, then shouted: "You, turn your head around for Ben Wang!" Then he strode over in big steps.

  He was indeed a tyrant, shouting and yelling. Qing Chen sighed secretly, knowing she couldn't avoid him, so she stood up, turned around and said: "I've seen the twelfth prince."

  Ye Tian saw her dressed as a man and was stunned: "So you're actually here, and yet for so long didn't..."

  You feared he would continue to reveal your true identity as a woman, and repeatedly bowed: "Your Highness, let's talk outside!"

  At night, Ye Tian Yu looked around at the beauties surrounding her, Lan Zhu and others who knew him hastily paid their respects and asked about his well-being, all secretly looking at him, wondering what was going on. Qing Chen lightly coughed and said: "What are you looking at? Is the twelfth prince more handsome than me? Everyone go back upstairs."

  All the women had always listened to her and followed her advice, and upon hearing this, they all got up elegantly and bid farewell according to etiquette. Their sleeves fluttered as they walked away with a gentle swaying motion, and the sound of their hairpins and earrings jingling faded into the distance. Meanwhile, Ye Tianyi had been standing by, laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

  You waited helplessly for him to finish laughing and said: "I'm just about to go out, if you're free, come with me."

  The two of them stepped out of the four-sided building, and got on their horses. Ye Tian still had a smile all over his face, and said: "You're really good at enjoying yourself, with so many beautiful women, didn't you think about sending a few to me?"

  "You sweep him a glance: 'The women in my four-sided building are all coming and going voluntarily, when have you ever heard of the reason for sending people?'"

  "Is this quadrangle building actually yours?" Ye Tianhui turned his head and looked around: "That Wenyan girl who is famous all over Kyoto..."

  "It was me." Qing Dust acknowledged bluntly.

  Ye Tian Lie said: "I've come so many times and you're still hiding it from me!"

  "It's not my fault, you can't see or hear it yourself, who else can you blame?"

  Ye Tian Lian let out a "hmm" sound: "How did you suddenly leave the Zhen Wang Fu? I asked Seventh Imperial Brother several times, and even he didn't know where you went."

  "You slightly lowered your eyes and asked: 'Is Seventh Highness doing well?'"

  "Looks good, but Seventh Brother's face always looks like that. Whether it's good or not, you have to ask him yourself."

  You dismounted your horse in front of that pawnshop and asked strangely, "What are you doing here?"

  "You said you had something to redeem a few days ago."

  Ye Tianlie raised his head and looked at him with a smile, saying: "You actually dared to pawn things in the Yin family's shop. Why not just pawn it directly to Seventh Brother?"

  You were just about to step inside when you heard what was said and your body stiffened. You turned your head and asked, "What did you say?"

  Ye Tianlie casually replied, "This shop and the money house across the street are all properties of the Yin family. The imperial concubine's clan is rich beyond measure, with seven or eight out of ten pawn shops in Yige City belonging to them."

  You stood there in a daze, and for some unclear reason, a surge of unexplained anger rose up in your heart. No wonder such an ordinary hairpin could be worth 500 taels of silver. Originally, you didn't want to owe Night Sky Zhan any more favors or gratitude, but in the end, it was still thanks to him that you have what you have today.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her frown and not leave.

  "Did you bring silver notes on you?"

  At night, Tian Li walked out of the door with a lot of gold in his arms and nodded: "There is."

  "Sir, lend me three thousand, I'll pay you back later!"

  Yitian saw that her face was strange and seemed to have anger, and she casually pulled out a few silver tickets from her pocket: "What's the matter with using so much silver?"

  You dust took out the two thousand he brought with him, and thought angrily: "Things have come to this, ten times the return to him!" He turned his head and went to the front hall, walked halfway, suddenly felt a looseness in his heart, stopped his footsteps, and felt that this move was too boring. Intentionally or unintentionally, can this matter still blame him? What is he trying to take out of anger, or provoke trouble?

  At this point, he furrowed his brow, turned around and handed the silver ticket back to Ye Tianyi: "Thank you, I don't need it after all."

  At night, Tian Yi saw her for a moment with an unpleasant expression, then recovered normally, walking beside him and suddenly asked: "You won't be quarreling with Seventh Brother over something, will you?"

  "You shook your head and said, 'No, I just thought of something else for a moment, nothing now.'"

  Ye Tianxiao smiled and said: "Women are really unpredictable." Qing Chen raised an eyebrow at him, and he continued: "Don't pretend you didn't hear me!"

  She glared at him with a bad temper, and since the old man in front of the counter was not there, she handed the pawn ticket to the young clerk inside. The young clerk looked at the pawn ticket and said, "Miss wants to redeem something? This is a dead pawn."

  "Dead?" Qing dust was stunned, took back the ballot and looked at it again, the black paper and white words were indeed written clearly.

  She furrowed her brow slightly and asked towards the cabinet: "How much money can't be redeemed?"

  The young man said: "Miss, just forget about this thing, maybe it's no longer in our counter now."

  "Trouble you to go ask your shopkeeper if he's still there and can be redeemed."

  The young man said: "That's not right, go ask the boss if I'm looking for a scolding, girl don't think about it anymore."

  Yè Tiān Liáo couldn't help but slap the counter: "If you want to ask, just go ask, why so nagging!"

  That young man was startled, and for a moment he was so frightened that he couldn't speak. Qingchen hastily stretched out his hand to pull Yuetianyi, who didn't say a word, and turned his head to go out the door. He said discontentedly: "Call the shopkeeper out to take the things, and later let Seventh Brother give a word on this side, isn't that enough?"

  "Go find him? I'd rather not, it's not like it's something important."

  "Yè Tiān Liáo said: 'Why are you hiding from Seventh Brother Huang?'"

  "Where am I?" Qing Chen asked.

  She looked at him with a skeptical face, she turned over and got on the horse, the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. After refusing someone, but actively or passively accepting his protection again and again, thinking that she was no longer relying on him, only to suddenly discover that she was still under his care, this made her feel a sense of defeat, or more accurately, with a hint of shame, as if she owed him something every day, and would never be able to repay it. After walking for a while, she asked in a low voice: "He shouldn't know I'm at the Four-sided Building, should he?"

  Ye Tian Liao said: "I didn't expect to run into him. I've been here a few times and didn't recognize you, he doesn't often come to these places, probably didn't know."

  "You've been here twice, but both times you only stayed for a short while."

  "It's hard to say then."

  You pursed your lips and asked again: "What did you ask Xiao Lanting to do tonight?"

  "The dinner guest."

  "Important guest?"

  "It's urgent."

  You dust no longer asked, some divine thoughts do not belong to the strategy of horseback riding towards White Tiger Street, Ye Tianli raised the reins and said: "Today this road is not accessible, Fourth Brother led the Xuanjia and Shenyu two armies stationed outside the city for a day's rest, today must enter the city from here, Father Emperor personally boarded the Shenwu Gate to reward the army, the Imperial Forest Army and the Jingwei Wei had sealed off the roads early in the morning."