“This servant must thank you, Young Master. If my name ever goes down in history, it will surely be thanks to your efforts,” Fuxiang said, her eyes brimming with tender affection, making her even more captivating.
Liu Qi’an understood what she meant. Throughout history, many renowned courtesans have achieved immortality through their poetry.
This opportunity would be a dream come true for any woman in her profession.
There are two types of people in this world who yearn for fame: scholars and courtesans.
This is exactly the gratitude I was aiming for… Liu Qi’an smiled, deliberately showing a hint of frivolity. “How do you intend to thank me?”
The room was as warm as spring. He had drunk quite a bit and, after sitting for a while, was feeling rather hot. He removed his outer robe and placed it on a round stool.
Fuxiang bit her full, luscious lips and said shyly, “Young Master, the night is long. Perhaps this servant could first play a tune to set the mood.”
Liu Qi’an was momentarily taken aback, realizing she had misunderstood his intentions. He smiled but didn’t explain.
He mused on how refined women of the past were. If you sought their company, they would say, “Don’t rush, let this humble woman play a tune for you first.”
Unlike modern girls who might say, “Make it quick!”
After patiently listening to the piece, Liu Qi’an had to admit that this flower of the courtesans did indeed have talent. She excelled in both poetry and music – he couldn’t speak to her poetry, but her musical skills were truly impressive.
Even he, with no musical training, found himself captivated.
Liu Qi’an sipped some tea to soothe his throat, dry from drinking, and casually broached a new topic: “Miss Fuxiang, you’re a rare beauty. Has no one ever tried to redeem you?”
This was not a pleasant subject. The courtesan sighed wistfully:
“For girls in the Imperial Music Bureau, redemption isn’t as simple as just paying a fee. Even if we meet a caring gentleman, the Ministry of Rites wouldn’t allow it.”
In truth, it was far too expensive. Redeeming a top courtesan from the Imperial Music Bureau was extremely difficult. Being official courtesans, there was a lot of red tape involved, requiring bribes at every level. The cost far exceeded that of redeeming courtesans from ordinary brothels.
Liu Qi’an recalled Constable Wang mentioning that redeeming a top courtesan from a regular brothel would cost around 500 to 1000 taels. For one from the Imperial Music Bureau, it might be double that or even more.
What did 2000 taels mean?
It would take me ten years of saving every coin, and I have an above-average income… With that much money, wouldn’t it be better to buy several pretty concubines?
Liu Qi’an unconsciously calculated in his mind and concluded: This would be a terrible investment!
“Indeed. Miss Fuxiang, with your beauty, there’s no equal even in the entire capital of Da Feng,” Liu Qi’an flattered.
The courtesan giggled, delighted inside but saying, “Young Master shouldn’t tease. The true beauty of the capital is the Northern Garrison King’s wife. I’m but a humble willow next to her.”
Her form of address had changed from ‘this servant’ to ‘I’, indicating a closer relationship. Her tone also carried a hint of coquettishness.
The Northern Garrison King’s wife? This woman again. Liu Qi’an had heard of this legendary beauty of the capital once more.
In his previous life, he had seen countless beauties, and even now, having met nearly flawless beauties like Xu Lingyue and Chu Caiwei, he couldn’t imagine how beautiful this princess consort must be to firmly hold the title of the capital’s greatest beauty.
It must be the halo of her status… he thought.
“That princess consort was born into a scholarly family in Jiangnan. When she was nine, she visited the Jade Buddha Temple with her parents. The abbot gifted her a poem:
‘A soul-stirring beauty outshining all flowers,
Graceful and radiant under the sun’s warm showers.
Acclaimed by all as the nation’s fairest face,
Her spirit bound to earth, yet fit for a royal embrace.’
“From then on, her fame spread far and wide. At thirteen, she was sent to the imperial palace.”
Liu Qi’an asked curiously, “Then how did she become a princess consort?”
Courtesan Fuxiang extended her delicate hand from her long sleeve. With her orchid finger, she poured some instrument polish from a porcelain bottle. As she maintained her phoenix-tail zither, she explained:
“Nineteen years ago, after the great victory at Shanhai Pass, the Northern Garrison King, as the second greatest contributor to the victory, was gifted this capital’s greatest beauty by His Majesty.”
The Northern Garrison King is the current emperor’s younger brother, so gifting him a beauty isn’t surprising. After all, though that beauty was exceptionally gorgeous, the current emperor had devoted himself to cultivation and no longer indulged in female company… Liu Qi’an was curious about something else:
“Who was the greatest contributor to the victory?”
“Duke Wei. Back then, he was the supreme commander of the three armies. If he hadn’t been a eunuch, the princess consort might not have become a princess consort.” Fuxiang smiled and added, “What I’ve told you, Young Master, is common knowledge that can be spoken of freely. However, once you leave this room, it’s best not to discuss it further.”
While ordinary people might gossip about Duke Wei, she was, after all, an employee of a state-run establishment.
So it was him… Liu Qi’an realized. He had heard much about this Wei Yuan from Liu Dalong.
He was too famous.
Though a eunuch, Wei Yuan was a man of exceptional talent, capable of both civil administration and military affairs. If he hadn’t lost his manhood early on, becoming a top scholar and then the prime minister would have been effortless for him.
The two chatted idly, with Liu Qi’an skillfully employing the art of gentle persuasion – a skill he had honed during his interrogation training.
After meandering through various topics, he finally steered the conversation towards Zhou Li.
“That man is lecherous and foolish, completely illiterate. I dislike him. Whenever he participates in our gatherings, I pretend he doesn’t exist,” Fuxiang said angrily.
“The Imperial Music Bureau is under the Ministry of Rites. I’m not afraid of him, even if he is the son of a Vice Minister of Revenue.”
Liu Qi’an showed appropriate curiosity, smiling as he asked, “How is he lecherous and foolish? Isn’t seeking pleasure a common practice?”
“Well, this involves some secrets of officialdom,” the courtesan hesitated, then said softly, “I’ve only heard bits and pieces from other officials. If Young Master Liu wants to know, I can tell you, but please don’t spread it around.”
Her tone was a mix of coyness and pleading.
Liu Qi’an perfectly feigned a flattered expression, assuring her that he was merely curious and would never spread the information.
“It all started during last year’s Lantern Festival. Zhou Li, being the reckless fool he is, took a liking to a young lady during the festivities. Taking advantage of the crowds, he accosted her and even had his men injure her escort.
“Little did he know, the young lady had a powerful background. She was the illegitimate daughter of the Mighty Marquis. Originally, being an illegitimate daughter might not have caused much trouble, but the issue was that the girl’s mother was the younger sister of the Mighty Marquis’s principal wife.
“With this blood relation, the illegitimate daughter was quite favored by the principal wife, and her treatment wasn’t much different from the legitimate daughter. She only lacked the official status.”
Liu Qi’an secretly clenched his fist. “How was it resolved?”
“The Mighty Marquis filed an imperial complaint. The Vice Minister of Revenue submitted a written explanation. The two sides argued for days. Finally, His Majesty ruled: The Vice Minister had failed to discipline his son properly and was to forfeit a year’s salary, paying 5000 taels in compensation to the Mighty Marquis. Zhou Li was confined for three months, with a warning of severe punishment if he reoffended.”
The phrase “severe punishment if he reoffended” struck Liu Qi’an like lightning, sparking a burst of inspiration.
Zhou Li had long coveted the beauty of the Mighty Marquis’s illegitimate daughter. Due to his recent humiliation and beating, he was in a foul mood. In a moment of recklessness, he once again set his sights on her…
The information he had previously gathered about Zhou Li suddenly came together, forming the foundation for his plan, adding bricks and tiles to its structure.
So he had people kidnap the Mighty Marquis’s illegitimate daughter, hiding her in a private residence, intending to have his way with her… and then silence her permanently… Yes, this seems plausible.
“Of course, the goal is to frame him. There’s no need to harm an innocent girl. This is just the initial draft of the plan. I’ll need to discuss the details thoroughly with Second Brother to ensure it appears natural and logical…”
Seeing Liu Qi’an lost in thought, Courtesan Fuxiang called out to him, her pink lips slightly pouting in a mix of coyness and complaint:
“Young Master, do you intend to sit with me all night?”
Ah… I can’t lose my virginity yet. If we don’t sit all night, what else could we do all night?