Volume One, Chapter 19: Clear Mist (Part 1)

Inside the box were a hundred thousand taels of silver notes.

Though the Music Bureau often held auctions to sell the first night of a courtesan for profit, never before had the highest price exceeded a hundred thousand taels.

That record was only set because two idle scions of wealthy families, neither willing to yield, competitively bid against each other.

Although a single night of passion was said to be worth a thousand gold coins, spending such an exorbitant sum to purchase a courtesan’s first night was still widely regarded as unwise.

Everyone had their own measure of value.

If nothing unforeseen occurred, this sum of one hundred thousand taels would be more than sufficient to buy Zhao Qinglan’s first night.

Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered faintly as Zhao Yuanzhuo lowered his gaze.

No matter what potion Shen Ran was truly selling from his gourd, or what price he would make Zhao Yuanzhuo pay in the future to repay today’s hundred thousand taels, if it could save his sister, then it was worth it.

Zhao Yuanzhuo intended to kneel in gratitude, but Shen Ran waved his hand dismissively and said lightly, “Out here, there aren’t so many formalities. Let it be.”

Then he extended his hand, gesturing to the seat opposite him. “Sit.”

This was indeed an immense honor.

Zhao Yuanzhuo was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he shook his head slightly and whispered, “Before Your Majesty, how can a subject have a seat? I will stand.”

Shen Ran chuckled softly. Lowering his head, he sipped his tea slowly, not insisting. “As you wish.”

At that moment, accompanied by the sweet sound of a qin and se, a roaring cheer erupted from outside.

Zhao Yuanzhuo’s pupils contracted sharply as he hurried to the window and looked down.

A group of young noblemen dressed in splendid silks had gathered around the central platform of the main hall.

Upon the raised stage, a woman wore a light veil and a golden, ornate robe, cradling a pipa as she played.

The clear and exquisite pipa melody flowed gracefully, neither rushed nor sluggish, remarkably moving. The performer’s skill was evident, yet anyone familiar with the art would detect the sorrow and resentment woven within the notes.

It was a song of entwined love, yet from deep within the player’s heart came pain, despair, and melancholy—like a lone traveler, scarred and lost with no path forward.

Shen Ran, who had been lazily leaning by the window, found his interest piqued by the tune and glanced out once more.

When the song ended, a brief silence fell over the hall.

At that moment, Madam Liu, the stewardess of the Heaven and Earth Pleasure House, stepped onto the stage with a smile. She reached out and lifted the veil from the woman’s face, revealing a delicate and beautiful visage.

This woman was stunning, but what was rarest was the indomitable spirit of a general’s daughter shining faintly beneath her elegance—a striking, cool allure amid the decadent splendor of the Pleasure House.

Madam Liu announced, “This is our newest courtesan, Jinse. Today is her first day receiving guests. We thank all the nobles for their patronage.”

For women, whether daughters of officials or poor families, entering the Music Bureau was akin to being reborn; they abandoned their given names and took on new ones. “Jinse” was Zhao Qinglan’s name within the Pleasure House.

Most of the assembled noble sons knew her identity. A cold beauty fallen into the world of pleasure was even more intoxicating than a woman born into it, stirring blood and passion.

In an instant, the atmosphere flared as if water had splashed into hot oil.

“We know!”

“Madam Liu, hurry and begin!”

“We can hardly wait!”

“Indeed!”

“Five thousand taels! I bid five thousand!”

“Don’t delay! Start quickly!”

Normally bidding would start at a thousand taels and climb to a final price around five thousand, at which point Madam Liu’s face would almost bloom with a smile.

She exclaimed softly and took Zhao Qinglan’s hand, guiding her forward a few steps. “This nobleman bids five thousand. Any higher bids?”

Another voice called out, “Six thousand taels! I bid six thousand!”

“Six thousand to win this beauty? Not so easy.”

Yet another voice declared, “I offer ten thousand taels!”

Madam Liu beamed, “Ten thousand, once. Any other bids?”

Watching his beloved elder sister treated like merchandise on stage, Zhao Yuanzhuo placed his hand on the windowsill, veins faintly bulging beneath the skin.

But he did not immediately join the bidding. Instead, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Zhao Qinglan.

He noticed she paid no attention to the bidders, only staring toward the northwest corner.

Following his gaze, Shen Ran’s eyebrows lifted as he looked over. Many young noblemen stood there, but one in particular caught his eye.

It was Wen Zheng, Zhao Qinglan’s former fiancé, now serving as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel.

Shen Ran’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Wen Zheng.”

“On the very day the Zhao family was raided, he became engaged to the eldest legitimate daughter of He Ningyuan, the Minister of Personnel. Now, with He Ningyuan’s patronage, Wen Zheng has been appointed assistant minister himself. It seems unlikely he will participate in this bidding.”

He then shifted his gaze to a young nobleman beside Wen Zheng.

Though called a nobleman, this one was small in stature and behaved unlike ordinary men, yet was intimately close to Wen Zheng.

With his keen perception, Shen Ran immediately discerned the truth.

Jesting, he said, “Bringing along one’s dazzling current fiancée to watch a former fiancée at a place like this—Wen Zheng truly is an eccentric.”

Aside from Zhao Qinglan, Zhao Yuanzhuo rarely interacted with women and paid little heed to matters of pleasure, focusing solely on military strategy and tactics. His vision was not as sharp as Shen Ran’s; only after Shen Ran’s remark did he notice the oddity.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Yuanzhuo lowered his eyes and sneered coldly, “A man like Wen Gong is beyond my sister’s reach. I hope his future is bright.”

Shen Ran smiled silently.

By now, the bidding had reached sixty thousand taels—a rare and remarkably high price—and the amount continued to climb.

When it hit seventy thousand, Madam Liu’s smile was so wide her mouth nearly couldn’t close.

Zhao Yuanzhuo frowned, a faint premonition of trouble stirring in his heart.

He felt the bidding was spiraling out of control; if it continued, surpassing one hundred thousand taels might not be impossible.

A subtle chill flashed across his eyes. He braced himself against the windowsill, then called out loudly—

“One hundred thousand taels!”

He would not tolerate any misstep in this matter. He had to suppress the others’ momentum from the start.