Entering the governor’s mansion required a body search, with no exceptions.
But Lu Yun clearly couldn’t be searched.
He stood holding his qin, tall and graceful, with cold beauty. To outsiders, how aloof he appeared, unlike common people. In the guards’ eyes, they saw this lady called Chen Xue ignore their large sabers at their waists, not even glancing at their fierce expressions. This woman’s red lips curved upward, her voice low and alluring, brushing past people’s hearts like silk, making them waver as they heard her speak softly: “You’re forcing me?”
The soldiers hiding in trees across the alley nearly fell from the wall: Third Brother’s voice… so bewitching. If they didn’t know he was male, even they would feel their blood heat up listening to it.
The nearby guards were affected. Fixed by the lady’s cold black eyes, Lady Chen Xue’s long curving eyelashes were like flying moths, her pupils black and clear. When she focused on someone, her eye corners lifted upward, showing peach blossom eyes with flowing charm… her features were soul-capturing beautiful, yet her expression remained cold, these contradictory qualities united in one person, causing both guards to lose their composure.
Chen Xue lowered her gaze, looking at the qin in her arms, speaking softly: “I make my living with my qin skills, performing in the commoners’ districts, where people honor me as a ‘master.’ Never did I imagine that though the governor invited me to play Qin, I would be stopped and humiliated at his mansion’s gate. Even as a Qin player, I shouldn’t face such insult.”
Eyes flowing with emotion, Lu Yun wanted to shed a few tears for effect. But he didn’t have his sister Yu’er’s talent for crying on command. His eyes blinked, but not a drop fell, so as a second choice, Lu Sanlan let out a gentle sigh. His melancholy appearance made people’s hearts ache, and before they could speak, he immediately sat down on the ground.
He began playing the qin in protest.
In an instant, clear notes filled the air, the qin’s sound rushing forth like a spring, rising and falling, circling and lingering. “Heart concentrated and form released, merging with the myriad transformations.”
The guards were at a loss: “My lady, this is, this is… not quite appropriate?”
Playing Qin before the governor’s gate made it seem as if the governor had wronged her. Such integrity and character were highly respected in this era. However, in reality, the governor wasn’t even in the mansion.
And Chen Xue played exceptionally well, causing passing soldiers and pedestrians to stop and watch the lady playing qin on the ground. The lady’s profile showed eternal grace, her skin fair, black hair brushing her cheeks before falling onto her deep robes, her eyes lowered with drooping lashes, appearing so peaceful and elegant.
It was almost impossible to associate her with a mere Qin player.
People spread the word—
“This woman plays qin so wonderfully? Never heard of her before.”
“What a pity she’s entering the governor’s door… such a pity.”
When the governor returned from the military camp outside the city, he found his mansion’s entrance blocked. Full of irritation, his servants inquired and learned what had happened. That a woman dared to make such a scene outside his mansion surprised the governor and piqued his interest. He descended from his carriage and walked into the crowd with hands behind his back, pretending to be an ordinary person to see what kind of woman was so bold—
The qin music stopped, and the lady rose with her instrument, turning with neither servility nor arrogance to bow to him, her voice still carrying that bewitching hoarseness: “This humble one greets the governor.”
The governor started, staring at her.
This woman was tall, standing in the crowd like a crane, noble and thoroughly cold, pure as ice and jade. Her features showed casual pride, her neck graceful, the wind gently brushing her clothes. Her robes lifted lightly like creased gauze, accentuating her straight figure. Her core was fierce.
Yet, extraordinarily beautiful.
Like a poppy, contradictory, deadly, yet enticing exploration.
The governor was conquered by her unique temperament at first sight, unconsciously speaking: “Lady Chen, please enter, no search needed.”
Those behind him disagreed: “My lord, if this woman is a spy…”
The governor said quietly: “Impossible. Would the Southern Kingdom be mad enough to send someone so proud as a spy? This woman is mysterious, not someone ordinary people could afford to hire… if I truly die by her hand, it would be due to her superior skill.”
In an alley away, the Southern Kingdom soldiers who had been tense for an hour watched as the governor returned, opened the mansion gates wide, and even reached out to help Lu Sanlan enter. However, Lu Sanlan remained aloof, not even glancing at him, simply carrying his qin inside. The governor’s face stiffened briefly, but he didn’t mind.
The soldiers: “…”
It wasn’t that the Southern Kingdom had sent such a proud person as a spy. Lu Sanlan knew how to play the game… he knew what kind of women men liked and used it to his advantage. Moreover, Chen Xue’s mysterious loneliness… how similar it was to Lu Sanlan’s aloofness. Playing the role came naturally to him.
…
Chen Xue was probably the most mysterious Qin player with the most difficult life experiences the Luoyang governor had ever met. She claimed to come from the northern region, having endured countless hardships and seen through human hypocrisy, thus always appearing melancholy and silent. Chen Xue was so beautiful that even when she sat by the window, lost in thought while gazing at the lake, her slightly furrowed brow and the depression in her expression made people’s hearts ache.
They wished to pile all the world’s treasures before her for her choosing.
Moreover, this woman had powerful self-respect.
The governor was lustful, but this woman said: “…Things easily obtained lose their interest. Why doesn’t the governor save the best for last?” The governor was convinced by her eloquence, deeply agreeing.
Since Chen Xue’s first day at the mansion when she played Qin outside the gate and refused to be searched, after learning of her character, the governor didn’t dare do anything without her consent, only carefully trying to please her. He drooled endlessly yet feared defiling her… the governor himself didn’t know why Chen Xue had a quality that made people want to treasure her.
This woman’s qin artistry was excellent.
As her reputation grew in Luoyang, when the governor went out with entertainers, she would accompany him. Gradually, Luoyang’s upper-class nobles all witnessed this woman’s beauty and qin skills. Among the nobility, entertainers could be exchanged, so some asked the Luoyang governor to share such a beauty. But the governor himself hadn’t even tasted this beauty, how could he be willing to pass her to others?
Chen Xue’s lonely heart, under the governor’s persistent harassment, finally broke its ice and would smile at him. Although this ice broke perhaps too quickly, in just three days. But the governor, caught in the situation, would only arrogantly believe in his capability.
Because Chen Xue had been bullied so much, she didn’t like talking to people. The governor would talk about anything to draw her into the conversation. Initially, he tested her with northern military intelligence, but seeing her brows furrow with disinterest, he felt relieved, believing she couldn’t be a spy. But once he opened up, speaking more about military matters, he naturally didn’t know that the Chen Xue he was trying to please listened clearly to his words, remembering them in her heart.
The governor’s mansion gradually became restless.
The servants and coming-and-going soldiers would talk with this woman. This woman deeply understood the taboos of social interaction, always holding back somewhat in conversation, her eyes trembling with emotion, seeming to have more to say, dwelling in melancholy, self-pitying… Behind the scenes, the governor’s mansion was somewhat chaotic, with servants and soldiers secretly fighting over whom this woman truly admired. But in front of the governor, they all protected Chen Xue.
Through various flirtations and conversations, Chen Xue herself couldn’t remember who she had spoken with. Yet her admirers lined up row after row.
The Southern Kingdom soldiers quietly observing them watched speechlessly as Chen Xue single-handedly threw the governor’s mansion into chaos: …killing it with both men and women, worthy of Jianye’s jade gentleman.
Once, two soldiers had a major fight over Lady Chen Xue.
At night while drinking, the governor flew into a rage, overturning the table and drawing his sword to punish Chen Xue. While others tensed nervously, they saw the lady slowly stand, remove her hairpin, and kneel before the enraged governor. Chen Xue spoke sorrowfully, claiming she deeply admired the governor with no one else in her heart. Lu Sanlan’s literary talent was outstanding, and though the Chen Xue he played was just a qin player, under his influence, this woman shed tears at the slightest breeze, her heart full of sorrow. When she spoke of her secret admiration for the governor, it left him dumbfounded, believing he had found true love.
Chen Xue knelt on the ground, looking up softly: “…This humble one wishes to stay by my lord’s side for life.”
“In my youth, I had a great wish to travel the world with my qin and gain some small fame. But since meeting my lord, this one knows those things are meaningless. External things, gold, and silver, none compare to you, my lord.”
The governor’s voice trembled: “You, you…”
He bent down, grasping her hand: “Do you truly, truly…”
Chen Xue lowered her head, smiling shyly.
As the governor felt relieved, stepping back twice and laughing three times, he naturally didn’t know that Chen Xue, who had risen unhurriedly, had disgustedly wiped her hand with a handkerchief from her sleeve. The handkerchief was then carelessly discarded, causing others to scramble for it.
…
In less than half a month, Chen Xue had turned the Luoyang governor’s mansion upside down, and the governor announced he would take her as a concubine, even leading her for the first time to meet the imprisoned scholars. The governor looked down on these scholars who played with words and wrote criticisms of state affairs, influencing public opinion across the land. He wanted to humiliate these scholars, and after Chen Xue seemed to hold back words several times, he arranged for these scholars to paint a “Portrait of Court Ladies” featuring his beloved new concubine.
The governor laughed: “My Xuexue shall enter the Portrait of Court Ladies, to be spread across the land.”
Lu Yun: “…”
His face turned slightly blue.
He didn’t want his beauty to spread across the land.
However, to meet these scholars, Lady Chen Xue had to appear delighted and grateful, thanking the governor for his grace.
The scholars naturally refused to paint for a mere concubine. They had their principles – the Portrait of Court Ladies was meant to be an example for ladies across the land, what was Chen Xue? Not worthy of recognition. The governor was humiliated by the scholars’ sharp tongues, and Chen Xue mediated from both sides, offering to go talk with the scholars herself.
The imprisoned scholars had endured the Luoyang governor’s humiliation, remaining unyielding even in confinement, refusing to listen to the governor’s orders to create writings and paintings they disliked. The governor cursed angrily: “Swine, fools! They dare look down on me, I could kill them at any time!”
In the dark room, the scholars sat with straight backs, proudly unyielding. The door creaked open, and the beautiful Lady Chen Xue, with her orchid-like temperament, stepped inside.
This was Lu Xuezhen’s first meeting with these scholars.
Opening the first move, wanting to ask about Fire Medicine Master’s place of imprisonment, researching how to replace the people in the mansion and rescue these people… there was no direction.
No one knew how Chen Xue spoke with the scholars in the chamber, but two hours later, when Chen Xue emerged, those scholars had changed their minds, agreeing to paint for the lady on the night the governor took her as concubine, allowing her beauty to spread across the land.
After Lu Yun learned of the Fire Medicine Master’s place of imprisonment, he no longer needed to find opportunities to meet people and raise suspicions. He figured that the night the Luoyang governor was to take Chen Xue as concubine would be the perfect opportunity to act. Before the governor could lay a finger on her, his new beautiful concubine would transform into a strapping gentleman… the governor would surely be delighted.