Against the Current - Chapter 218
Chapter 218 - Tiger's Den
After shedding her tears and letting out her grief, Xianglan finally began to feel better. She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and slowly walked back. As her sorrow gradually receded, she realized that with Abbess Dingyi gone, staying at Manifest Victory Nunnery held little appeal for her anymore. Counting her remaining silver and trinkets, the scattered pieces added up to a little over a hundred taels. She thought to herself, "If I were a man, I could travel as far as it takes, establish myself in some distant place, and then return to fetch my father and mother. But as a woman, where can I possibly go? And I have no one around to lend a hand." She mulled it over, but could not come up with a plan. Pulling out a mirror, she looked at her reflection, feeling that she appeared far too delicate; even if she dressed in men's clothing, anyone would be able to spot her as a woman, and she could not help letting out another sigh. Throughout both her past and present lives—aside from her time spent in exile and in the temple—her remaining days had almost entirely been enclosed within glittering, wealthy mansions. The realization that she only knew how to paint, write, and do some needlework, while being utterly helpless at anything else, left her feeling all the more discouraged.
After lingering in a daze for a while, Xianglan rallied her spirits and thought to herself, "There's no need to panic. Back when I was a maid in the Lin household, it felt like there was no way out, yet in the end, my family and I still managed to have our household registry status restored. Later on, when I went back to the Lin estate and suffered so much, didn't I manage to escape in the end? The path of life is walked one step at a time." Her spirits somewhat revived, she spread out a sheet of paper, dipped her brush in ink, and set to writing a eulogy for Abbess Dingyi, which need not be dwelled upon.
By the third month, spring tunics were thin, and the weather had long since grown warm again. As dusk approached one day, a man walked in a hurried and purposeful manner along the main street. As fate would have it, as he walked along, he suddenly felt a shower of melon seed shells raining down from above. Looking up, he saw that he was passing right in front of Yicui Pavilion, where a courtesan was leaning against the second-floor railing, cracking melon seeds. Reclining lazily with half of her bare, lotus-root-like arm exposed, her makeup meticulously applied, she cast a flirtatious sideways glance and spat out a seed shell with her vibrant, scarlet lips. Their eyes met, and seeing that the man possessed handsome features and a dashing, carefree bearing, the courtesan let out a soft giggle. Shielding her face with a folding fan, she smiled charmingly and drifted away—truly a picture of alluring, seductive elegance.
At the sight of this, the man felt his soul stir and involuntarily turned his footsteps toward Yicui Pavilion. The male attendant naturally greeted him with attentive hospitality. The man was clearly a seasoned veteran of the romantic quarters; without a word, he slapped down two taels of silver and described the courtesan's appearance. The attendant smiled and said, "My lord has a discerning eye—you can tell right away you're an old hand at the romantic arts. That woman is our Lady Yan'er, our most famous name here. As for this..." He rubbed his thumb and fingers together, sliding them out discreetly from his sleeve.
Without a word, the man pulled out another five taels. The attendant's face instantly broke into a wide grin as he loudly declared, "Right away, sir! Lady Yan'er will be right down!"
With that, he led the man up to the second floor. Before long, Chunyan indeed arrived. Seeing that the man was dashing and carried an air of distinction, she took a liking to him and pulled out all the stops, serving him tea and chatting with attentive sweetness. That very night, she kept him over as an overnight guest.
The man was none other than Du Bin! As it turned out, ever since Du Bin realized his crimes had been exposed—not to mention that Lin Jinlou wanted him dead and Lu Shaotang also intended to silence him permanently—he had acted with his usual craftiness and cunning, having already prepared a fallback plan. He had a paternal cousin whose height and facial features bore an uncanny resemblance to his own, and he had kept this cousin staying at his residence for some days. Upon his return, Du Bin had gifted his cousin his finest set of clothing, telling him to put them on and go outside, while he himself disguised himself as a hunchbacked old man and slipped away quietly. His hapless cousin was sent off to his death, stabbed straight through the heart by an assassin and his corpse thrown into the river. Because the body had not been in the water long, the face was somewhat bloated and distorted, yet features were barely recognizable enough to temporarily pass the deception. Lin Jinlou naturally discovered the truth afterward and flew into a rage, dispatching men to hunt Du Bin down everywhere, but that is a story for later.
During these past few days, Du Bin had been living in hiding, first taking refuge with a familiar friend in Hangzhou for a short while. Because that area was still under Lin Jinlou's sphere of influence and he felt uneasy, he had planned to travel all the way south to Fuzhou. On this particular day, just as he reached the borders of Yangzhou, he happened to catch sight of Chunyan while walking along the street. Having been deprived of female companionship for a long time, Du Bin naturally seized the opportunity and came inside to enjoy himself.
Before long, the room was filled with the fragrance of Rui-nao incense, the bedding tossed in waves of crimson, thick with the atmosphere of spring. Once it was all over, Chunyan had already fallen fast asleep, while Du Bin hovered between waking and sleeping. Suddenly hearing footsteps outside the door, he gave a start, sat bolt upright in an instant, and reached out to grab the sword resting by the head of the bed.
Outside, he heard the attendant saying in a low voice, "Master Qian, Lady Yan'er cannot attend to you tonight; there is a guest staying in her room."
Hearing this, Qian Wenze flared up in annoyance, pointed at the attendant's nose, and cursed, "What kind of dog-shit are you talking about?! Didn't I tell you earlier to keep her exclusively for me tonight? How did she end up booked for an overnight stay?"
The attendant slapped his own face with a ingratiating smile and stammered, "It's all my fault, all my fault! I saw that curfew was approaching and you hadn't arrived yet, so... so I thought you weren't coming..."
Furious, Qian Wenze kicked the attendant squarely in the chest, roaring, "You turtle's grandson! You're full of sweet words on ordinary days, but you were just playing smart with me!" With that, he began to curse loudly and hammered heavily on the door.
Du Bin was left irritated and unsettled. Lin Jinlou's overwhelming prestige and immense power weighed heavily on him; although he had already escaped Jinling, he was ultimately like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. Lin Jinlou had mobilized both underworld and official forces to hunt him down, and on several occasions he had nearly been captured, making him excessively cautious and unwilling to provoke even the smallest trouble. Hearing Qian Wenze shouting outside, he got up and dressed, intending to leave. But realizing that the curfew was already in effect, he seemed to have nowhere to go, and running into patrol guards would only bring greater trouble. A wave of frustration washed over him, and he inwardly cursed himself for coming to this place.
At that moment, the procuress arrived and said to Qian Wenze, "Master Qian drank too much tonight and is throwing a drunken fit here. Yan'er is my girl; where do you think all the money for her face powder, rouge, jewelry, and clothes comes from if not from hard cash? Besides, this is a business of selling charm and smiles. Yan'er can sing and paint, and she comes from a respectable background—the entire reputation of Yicui Pavilion depends on her to hold it up! If Master Qian fancies her, you should spend the silver to redeem her contract; then I guarantee you can hold her in your arms and sleep with her every single night, and no one would dare say a word."
These words left Qian Wenze feeling both humiliated and exasperated, sobering him up by at least thirty percent. He sneered, "Good, good, good—you toothless old swindler, you're the type to kick away the bridge once you've crossed the river! Aren't you the one who needed me and flattered me when you wanted me to spend my silver? What kind of peerless beauties hasn't your Master Qian laid eyes on?" He wanted to boast about Zhao Yuechan to show off, but being a smart man after all, he managed to choke it back. He merely curled his lip and said, "Not to mention things far away, let's talk about something close: all the girls in your place tied together aren't worth a fraction of that young nun practicing austerities over at Manifest Victory Nunnery. She looks like a heavenly fairy and is exceptionally skilled at painting. The painting hanging in Yan'er's room was drawn by her. Never mind your boasting about Yan'er's talents in song and painting; even Meijun, the most accomplished painter among the Eight Beauties of Yangzhou, would look like a piece of garbage next to her. In a few days, once I get my hands on her, you'll finally see what I'm capable of."
The attendant tried to smooth things over from the side, saying, "We lowly folks naturally don't have your extensive experience and broad horizons. Since I handled things poorly today and neglected you, why don't I have Sister Li come attend to you instead? Sister Li was asking after you just the other day, and I'll have her send over a jar of top-quality aged wine later, I guarantee it will leave you feeling completely pampered..." Their voices gradually faded away and became inaudible, presumably having coaxed Qian Wenze into leaving.
Qian Wenze was still harboring a belly full of frustration, but Sister Li, though no match for Chunyan, still possessed a certain sensual charm, and hearing that the attendant would supply wine, he went off complaining all the way.
That conversation, however, had fallen right into Du Bin's ears. Ever since he had laid eyes on Xianglan, he had been as if enchanted, unable to banish her from his mind, feeling as though he were carrying a ball of fire in his chest. When he had been dallying with that courtesan earlier, his mind had been entirely filled with Xianglan's face. Knowing that Xianglan had once served as a lay disciple at a temple and was skilled in painting, he was driven by some irresistible impulse to get out of bed, light the candle by the bedside, and hold it up to examine the painting hanging on the wall. It depicted Imperial Concubine Yang, her fair shoulder half-exposed, dozing off on a couch in sweet slumber—a scene matching the decadent atmosphere of the brothel, yet entirely devoid of vulgarity. Looking closely at the signature, there was only a seal stamped in seal-script with the single character "Lan." Du Bin's heart gave a violent leap.
Early the next morning, Du Bin went to Manifest Victory Nunnery, but he failed to catch sight of Xianglan. Exercising his patience, he staked the place out for another day until he finally spotted a hooded girl emerging from the back gate, carrying a bundle of firewood. Her figure, posture, and the chin visible beneath her hood were an exact replica of Xianglan. A surge of joy washed over Du Bin, and he thought to himself, "This is truly a match sent by the heavens; she is destined to be mine. To run into such exquisite beauty after traveling thousands of miles—fate is pulling the red thread for me! If I don't spirit her away this very time, I'd be insulting this fated connection."
He thought to himself, "This Manifest Victory Nunnery is not a solitary temple; it has some renown, and there are men managing chores inside, so it might not be easy to bully our way through. Better to track down her dwelling place first, hide out in the rafters, and kidnap her in the dead of night. It'll be clean and untraceable—what a brilliant plan." Possessing some martial arts training himself, he quietly slipped into the temple, located Xianglan's quarters, and concealed himself.
When night fell, Xianglan finished painting and finally put down her brush to rest. Troubled by thoughts of her future prospects, she tossed and turned restlessly on her bed. Just as she was drifting between sleep and wakefulness, she suddenly heard a faint, creaking sound coming from the door. Before she could even sit up, a pungent, sweet fragrance struck her nose and mouth; her head lolled to one side, and she lost consciousness entirely.
Du Bin brushed aside the stray locks of hair from Xianglan's face and peered at her by the moonlight. Seeing that the face before him was as beautiful as an orchid—none other than Xianglan herself—he was overjoyed. Daring not linger any longer, he bound her hands and feet, gagged her mouth, wrapped her in a bedsheet, and strapped her onto his back. He had already left a rope hanging from the outer wall, and with nimble movements, he vaulted over the wall and slipped away cleanly.
Du Bin had already mapped out his plan and brought Xianglan straight to Yicui Pavilion. As it turned out, behind Yicui Pavilion there was a row of utility rooms housing aging and faded prostitutes. Du Bin found one named Auntie Hong, gave her five hundred cash, and asked her to clear out her room for the night. Auntie Hong readily agreed, took the money, and handed the room key over to Du Bin.
Du Bin settled Xianglan inside. No sooner had he placed her on the brick kang bed than a sudden uproar of shouting and cursing erupted outside, and a woman shrieked, "This is a disaster! The soldiers and officers are here!" With a guilty conscience, Du Bin received a severe shock, hurriedly grabbed his weapons, rushed out the door, and scrambled to hide himself.
Xianglan, who had been dazed moments before, gradually regained her senses. Finding her hands and feet bound and her mouth stuffed with a piece of cloth, she was struck with terror and struggled with all her might, but she could not even manage to sit up.
At that exact moment, the door was flung open with a loud crash. Xianglan hurriedly turned her head sideways to look, only to see Chunyan running inside with a look of panic, hastily shutting the door behind her. Outside, the sounds of smashing, breaking, and cursing continued unabated. Chunyan's face was deathly pale as she clutched her chest and panted, "That she-devil—she damn near scared me to death! Good thing I ran fast."
As it turned out, two nights prior, when Qian Wenze had come looking for Chunyan and failed, only to be chewed out by the procuress, he had felt his dignity crushed and harbored a deep resentment, vowing that he wouldn't feel at ease until he taught them a lesson. Qian Wenze knew that Chunyan had recently bewitched Judge Lu of the prefecture. Judge Lu's wife was a woman named Zhou, belonging to the family of a hundred-man commander; her temperament was fiercely aggressive, and she frequently played the part of the roaring lion. Judge Lu didn't dare draw a full breath in her presence, and his household maids didn't dare cast a second glance at him, so he had gone outside to seek pleasure, previously infatuated with a courtesan named Han Guijie. When Lady Zhou found out, she didn't waste words; she brought a group of people straight to the brothel, smashed the place to pieces, and tossed Han Guijie into a cesspit.
Qian Wenze was on good terms with the wife of an orderly serving in Judge Lu's yamen, and he had leaked this information to her. Sure enough, Lady Zhou had mobilized troops under her father's command, storming in with aggressive fury and smashing Yicui Pavilion into chaos. Qian Wenze stood in the main hall with his hands tucked into his sleeves to watch the commotion. Seeing the procuress and attendants kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, he felt an immense wave of joy, picked up a small jar of wine, and chugged it down, feeling as refreshed as if he had eaten chilled watermelon on a midsummer day.
Chunyan had been upstairs keeping Judge Lu company over drinks. When Judge Lu heard that his wife had arrived, his legs turned to jelly with fright, and with a quick slide, he dove straight under the bed to hide. Knowing the fierce reputation of this shrew, Chunyan was also struck with horror, hurriedly scurrying down the small staircase to hide in the back courtyard. Catching sight of the room assigned to Auntie Hong standing ajar, she had bolted right inside.
Upon seeing Chunyan, Xianglan began struggling even more violently, making muffled, whimpering sounds through her gag.
Startled, Chunyan crept over cautiously. Staring at Xianglan for a long moment, she found the face vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite place where she had seen her. She muttered to herself, "Where did you come from? Are you a new girl bought by Madam? But... but you shouldn't be kept in a place like this..." Seeing Xianglan weeping incessantly with an expression of intense pleading in her eyes, she reached out and removed the cloth blocking her mouth.
Gasping for breath, Xianglan pleaded, "Chunyan, Chunyan, please save me!"
The name "Chunyan" was one no one had called her in a long time. Chunyan's expression changed drastically as she demanded, "You recognize me?"
Xianglan replied, "How could I not? I am Chen Xianglan, your former neighbor."
Chunyan stared at Xianglan for a beat before a sudden flash of realization dawned on her. "Oh, oh... so, so it's you..." Her expression shifted into something unreadable—a mix of sorrow, resentment, and a touch of schadenfreude as she said, "What, did the Lin family sell you here too?"
Xianglan hurriedly explained, "No! I was seized by villains. Someone broke into my room earlier, used knockout incense, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was already here." She pleaded once more, "Chunyan, I beg you, please untie my ropes."
Chunyan sneered, "Why should I help you? And why on earth should I believe you?"
Taken aback for a moment, Xianglan collected her thoughts, a clear gleam returning to her eyes as she said, "Chunyan, if you untie the ropes on my hands, I will give you fifty taels of silver."
Assuming Xianglan had been abducted and sold by traffickers, Chunyan scoffed, patting Xianglan's cheek mockingly. "You're trying to fool me. This is a brothel; if you had any silver on you, Madam would have stripped it away long ago. Would it ever make it to you to offer me fifty taels? Hmph!"