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墨書 Inktalez
The person in front of her really looks like her. Could it be that she has returned? If not, how could there be someone so similar?
Zhong Xue raised her head and felt her body sway slightly. The table that had been splashed with wine trembled, causing the liquid to drip down and wet her clothes, though she seemed unaware of it. She kept silently repeating in her mind: Is it her? Is it her?...
San Chun stepped over Ji Xun, moving forward step by step, suddenly feeling as if she was not herself.
Someone was watching her, not just one person's gaze, but the most peculiar thing was that this person seemed to be looking through her at another person. This feeling was not unpleasant, but it also did not bring her much comfort.
As she approached the qin platform, she finally saw the man leaning on the soft cushion, watching her intently. It was Chengyang Jun of Wei Kingdom, dressed today in a dark robe that exuded the dignity of a ruler. His demeanor was cold and calm, distinctly different from all the other young masters present. At this moment, his gaze was fixed on her face, as if he had been studying her for a long time.
She had never seen such a gaze filled with meaning—melancholic like autumn leaves, bewildered like the moonlight on a winter day, and vibrant like twinkling stars. She could not tell what he was thinking; in the light cast by the sandalwood lanterns, his eyes held an indescribable significance. It made one feel as if they were falling into the whirlpool created by his gaze, struggling to climb out but unable to escape.
San Chun inexplicably shivered, feeling that there must be a devil residing in his eyes; after looking for too long, it seemed easy to be drawn in forever.
As she stepped onto the qin platform, her heart trembled so much that she could not play the instrument—not because she didn’t want to, but because she simply couldn’t. Perhaps she used to know how to play; at least she could recognize sheet music. But the thought of performing in front of others filled her with an inexplicable resistance. She couldn’t remember how to do it and didn’t want to try to remember. So she just knelt there, adopting a delicate posture for others to admire.
Everyone was staring at her; the originally average-looking Qi Country Young Master Qianqing had his mouth wide open—the one with the biggest mouth among them—while the other young masters looked as wide-eyed as cattle, having completely forgotten where they were.
Feng Lingjun cleared his throat and said, “Are you all satisfied with this Concubine of mine?”
Qianqing immediately closed his gaping mouth and smiled, saying, “Of course I am satisfied. Might I borrow this Concubine for a while?”
Among nobles, Concubines could be lent out; when hosting guests, a master could call upon a Concubine to accompany them in bed. There was even a ridiculous tale from Chu Kingdom about Jing Ling Jun who enjoyed watching Concubines engage with other men and would tally their encounters each month, rewarding those whose Concubines entertained guests the most lavishly. Thus, his women took pride in stealing men’s hearts and became a laughingstock across the Seven Kingdoms.
What Jing Ling Jun did may seem laughable, but it was indeed true. There existed an unspoken understanding among nobles: if someone fancied another's Concubine, they could request her for their own bed or exchange valuables for her company. The master would decide whether to lend out the Concubine based on how much money was offered. This borrowing was different from selling; borrowing only lasted one night—a fleeting romance after which they would part ways. If sold, it meant leaving with someone else and never returning unless the master paid an even greater price to buy her back.
Of course, such situations were generally unlikely; once sold off, most were unwanted—who would want to buy them back?
However, transactions mostly involved Concubines; legitimate wives were not treated this way. Who would dare act disloyally towards a legitimate wife? That wouldn’t be called lending; it would be called wearing a green hat.
She was naturally not the legitimate wife of Feng Lingjun, so he smiled happily, "Does Your Highness have an interest in her?"
Young Master Qianqing said, "Of course, I am willing to offer Ten Gold for one night."
The Crown Prince of Qin also said, "I am willing to offer one hundred gold. Lord Jun, would you be willing to part with her?"
Qianqing smiled, "Crown Prince, why must we compete? Why not let me borrow her for one night first, and then you can take her away afterward? Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
Surprisingly, the Crown Prince of Qin nodded, "Very well."
In just a few words, the two had decided the fate of San Chun, as if they had no intention of consulting anyone else.
Feng Lingjun couldn't help but frown. He had heard that this Crown Prince of Qin was domineering, and it turned out to be true. Encountering someone like Qi Gongzi, who was such a fool, was truly exasperating.
He shook his head, "This Lord's beloved concubine cannot be easily given to others."
San Chun pouted upon hearing this. What relationship did she have with him? It sounded as if he was reluctant to part with her.
The Crown Prince of Qin thought he found the offer too low and added five Ten Gold.
While Feng Lingjun spoke with the two, his gaze kept observing Chengyang Jun. He saw this Lord Jun sipping wine while smiling and watching the scene as if he were merely enjoying the spectacle.
Could it be that he was mistaken? Perhaps he didn't care for that person as deeply as others imagined or perhaps he wasn't interested in San Chun at all?
With doubts in his heart and wanting to probe further, he said to San Chun, "It's rare for several young masters to take a liking to you; why not dance for everyone to liven things up?"
San Chun blinked, "Lord Jun, are you serious?"
"Of course."
"Yes." She agreed, but thought to herself, it's your fault for making me jump; don't blame me if I embarrass myself.
She stood up, gave a slight bow, and then began her monotonous performance of Shrew Mouse.
In truth, she didn't want to act too foolishly, but she only knew one or two dance moves. Besides bouncing around like a mouse, there was that seductive dance she had learned from Dancer.
She danced very well; the last time she got drunk, her performance shocked everyone in the tavern. But who could blame her for being drunk? Once she sobered up, she remembered nothing.
That national style Shrew Mouse was a satire of the nobility, so she dared not sing it aloud. Instead, she provided her own accompaniment: "Squeak—squeak—"
As soon as the sound emerged, the hall fell unusually silent. Everyone's expressions were different, yet they all shared the same shock.
Suddenly, someone burst out laughing, and the laughter seemed to spread like an infection; soon everyone was laughing—mocking, roaring, teasing—laughter grew louder as if they had all taken a dose of laughter medicine.
Qianqing laughed until tears streamed down her face and pointed at San Chun, saying, "So funny! You must be an old-school entertainer."
San Chun didn't know whether to cry or laugh. She was absent-minded; she didn't truly intend to act this way. Her mind was completely blank. But even if she explained herself later, no one would believe her; others would just see her as a comedic figure trying to amuse the nobles.
Well then, if they wanted to laugh, let them laugh; the only one not laughing was her "son."
She switched to another pose, stretching out her arms like a crab with eight legs, two crabs with sixteen legs...
The laughter grew louder and louder; the only one not laughing was Chengyang Jun. He held his wine cup with a distant gaze and a hint of malice—perhaps recalling the day she had kicked him several times.
As San Chun extended her arms, she thought about what would happen if she fell into his hands. This strange Chengyang Jun was certainly not a kind-hearted person.
Thinking about the countless hardships she would endure in his grasp made her unable to continue dancing. She abruptly ended her crab crawl and bowed deeply.
Just as she was about to retreat, she heard Feng Lingjun say, "Sit beside This Lord."
"Sure." She ground her teeth, suppressing the impulse to punch him in the face.
Feng Lingjun had a gentle temperament and was very magnanimous. She wondered if he would still be able to maintain that benevolent expression if she really did hit him.
Young Master Qianqing loved to have fun and grew fonder of San Chun the more he looked at her. When he saw her take a seat, he couldn't help but smile and said, "Feng Lingjun, how much is your Concubine worth? How about I trade you a beauty from Qi State plus an additional one hundred gold?"
The noble lady beside him turned pale, probably not expecting that she would be worth less than a lowly Concubine.
The Crown Prince of Qin said, "This prince's Shana has already been given to you; why not let this one be mine?"
Qianqing curled his lips slightly, "I've seen many clever people, but unfortunately, I've not encountered many foolish ones. Make it an additional one hundred gold."
San Chun gritted her teeth in anger; who was the fool? Their entire family was made up of fools.
The Crown Prince of Qin, unwilling to back down, quickly said, "Five hundred gold."
"Six hundred."
"Seven hundred."
...
In the end, the Crown Prince of Qin raised his bid to include a Noble Lady, causing an uproar among the crowd.
In this era, cattle were valuable assets; a single cow sold for only two Ten Gold. The price for San Chun could buy fifty cows.
Among the group of young masters, only these two were arguing back and forth while everyone else remained silent.
Chengyang Jun continued sipping his wine but cast a cold glance in their direction. He felt suspicious and wondered if this San Chun was that person. She bore a striking resemblance—almost nine parts similar—in appearance and expression, especially in her eyes, which no one could impersonate. Moreover, her habit of curling her lips when looking at someone and fidgeting with her fingers when nervous were identical to that person. But could it be possible? Could someone who had died come back to life?
He did not believe it; if possible, he wanted to see if there was that mark on her, the one he had only seen before.
Ji Xun remained silent. He was not sure if the person in front of him was the one he had in mind, but he knew San Chun's personality. Treating her like a commodity and bargaining like this would surely upset her. Therefore, he decided to withdraw from the bidding; if he wanted to save her, he would have to think of another way.
Watching these impassive people, Feng Lingjun felt a surge of frustration. Could it be that he was mistaken and that San Chun's value was far less than he had imagined?
He turned to look at Chengyang Jun and Ji Xun; both seemed lost in thought and indifferent to what was happening here. As for the others, they mostly just stirred up trouble, with no one participating seriously.
These young masters all knew the temperament of the Crown Prince of Qin; he was extremely irritable and vindictive, ready to resort to violence at the slightest provocation. Most of the people here were cultured individuals, and if they were to clash with him, they would inevitably lose their dignity. Only Qianqing, who had little experience in social matters, would stubbornly stand up to him.
When a Noble Lady was called out, Qianqing wanted to call again, but the Crown Prince of Qin's suppressed anger flared up. He grabbed a wine cup from the table and threw it. The throw missed his head but flew close enough to graze his scalp before crashing against the wall behind him with a loud bang.
How could a prince of a nation, someone destined to be king, behave so poorly? Yet there are indeed such uncouth individuals; this prince had once overturned a banquet table during an argument and had even drawn his sword in court when someone mocked him for having a long chin.
With such a nature, it is no wonder that no one dared to provoke him.
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