Chapter Sixteen of the Ten Scenes Satin

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The four of them had walked for a short while when they arrived at the front of a house with a plaque bearing the three characters "Shuiyanlou" hanging high above it. Wen Yuan looked around and saw that the road was bustling with activity. There were people in sedan chairs, people on horseback, wealthy gentlemen swaggering around, and well-dressed young men. In front of the door, a group of beautiful women were soliciting customers. A graceful young woman in lotus-root-colored clothing approached Song Shangqian, speaking in a coquettish voice, "Oh, Master Song, it's been so long since you've come to visit!"

Song Shangqian squeezed her hand and laughed, "My darling, of course I've come!" The woman nestled in his arms, feigning reproach in a sweet voice, "Hmph, you must have come to see our little sister Ziyuan, how could you possibly care about me? You're so heartless." Song Shangqian hugged and cuddled the woman, laughing, "How could I bear to part with my little darling? Today I've come to pamper you properly."

Meanwhile, several other prostitutes went to attend to the Zhang brothers, who were huddled together, laughing and joking; it seemed the three of them were regulars. Wen Yuan felt extremely uncomfortable, thinking to himself, "What's so good about these alluring women?" Just then, a woman in a red floral-trimmed blouse approached him, her face charming, and said with a smile, "This young master is quite handsome. Are you Master Song's son?"

Wen Yuan was immediately enveloped by a strong fragrance and quickly stepped aside, saying, "No, I'm just here with Mr. Song to admire Miss Ziyuan's beauty. We have no other intentions." Song Shangqian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Young Master Wen, since you're here..." "You should enjoy yourself. Even though Miss Ziyuan is beautiful, you can only look at her, not taste her." The young woman, seeing that Wen Yuan was naive and easily fooled, became even more alluring, pulling him inside and saying with a smile, "Yes, it's a great honor for a distinguished guest like Young Master Wen to grace our Shuiyan Pavilion with his presence. This humble woman should serve you well." Wen Yuan

quickly stepped aside, cupping his hands in greeting, "Please make yourselves at home

, gentlemen. I'll just wait for Miss Ziyuan to come out; no need for you to trouble yourself." He then strode inside, only faintly hearing laughter behind him. Passing through the courtyard, he arrived at the hall, which was filled with officials and gentry, men and women, drinking and laughing, whispering sweet nothings, a scene of decadent revelry. When the madam, Granny Zhu, saw Wen Yuan enter, she hurried forward to greet him with a beaming smile, saying, "What is your surname, young master? Come, come, please come this way." Wen Yuan replied, "My surname is Wen. Excuse me, may I ask when Miss Ziyuan will be coming out?"

Granny Zhu smiled and said, "Our Ziyuan is getting ready right now, she'll be out in a little while. Please have a seat here, young master. Xiao Lian, why don't you go and call Chunxue and Heyue to come and serve you?" A maidservant beside her quickly withdrew.

Wen Yuan waved his hand and said, "No need, I'll wait here." Granny Zhu saw that he didn't want any girls and that his clothes were plain, not like a wealthy young master, and thought to herself, "He's probably just a poor scholar who came to see the fun because it's Ziyuan's birthday." She then changed her expression and said, "Then go outside, don't get in the way of the other gentlemen, go!"

Wen Yuan wasn't annoyed and went to the courtyard by himself. Song, Zhang, and the other two were walking over with several girls, and they led Wen Yuan inside as well. Granny Zhu recognized Song and Zhang, and seeing Wen Yuan with them, she put on a smiling face and ordered wine and dishes to be prepared. Wen Yuan and Song Shangqian sat at one table, while Wen Yuan sat aside drinking tea, thinking to himself, "In brothels, it's true that everything is paved with money." Song Shangqian and the Zhang brothers were flirting with the prostitutes, and Wen Yuan looked around and saw the same scene everywhere, only wondering if Zhao Pingbo was among them. As

dusk approached, suddenly a few tinkling sounds came from afar. Granny Zhu stepped forward with a beaming smile and said, "Gentlemen, as you all know, today is our Miss Ziyuan's birthday..."

A burly man with a thick beard suddenly stood up and shouted, "Yes, Granny Zhu, why isn't Miss Ziyuan coming out yet?"

This man had a thick, black beard, eyes like copper bells, and a loud, imposing voice. His shout caused the other guests to clamor as well. Granny Zhu smiled obsequiously, "Yes, yes, Ziyuan is currently in the pavilion. Anyone who wishes to see our Ziyuan's master, please come this way." Granny Zhu then opened the door to the back courtyard and walked over, followed by the crowd in the hall. A group of people led the way, blocking the others behind, shouting, "The Prince of Jingwei is here! Nobody rushes ahead, walk slowly!"

The crowd clamored, but dared not disobey. Pulling the tiger's mane—offending Prince Zhao was no laughing matter—so they had no choice but to make way. Wen Yuan, watching from afar, saw a young gentleman walking ahead, only his back visible, surrounded by a dozen or so guards. He assumed it was the prince and thought, "Let's see what he's up to this time." He then walked over with Song Shangqian and the others.

They arrived at a pavilion in the back courtyard, exquisitely built, with a wooden plaque reading "Jieyuan Pavilion"—this was Ziyuan's dressing room. Granny Zhu opened the door and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, please wait here. Our Ziyuan prefers peace and quiet."

Hearing this, everyone stopped and peered inside. Behind a gauze curtain, a figure could be vaguely seen, but it was faint and indistinct.

Zhao Pingbo stood before the pavilion, secretly delighted. He had come to Hangzhou because he had long admired Ziyuan's reputation, and had led his group to her birthday celebration, hoping to see the beauty in person. He had been seriously injured by Hua Xuan's whip earlier, but fortunately, his martial arts skills were quite solid, and the whip's power wasn't great. After several days of recuperation, he was almost fully recovered, still displaying a dashing and elegant demeanor. Otherwise, a handsome man on the verge of death wouldn't have been very appealing.

Wen Yuan also longed to see this extraordinary woman of the world. With a light step, he used his nimble movements to step forward, moving freely through the crowd, reaching the front and ending up behind Zhao Pingbo and his group. Song Shangqian didn't seem to care that Wen Yuan was nowhere to be seen.

Wen Yuan had just stopped when a young maidservant emerged from the pavilion, dressed in an apricot-yellow cotton coat and a black silk skirt. She gracefully bowed to the guests and said, "Sister Ziyuan has caught a cold and isn't feeling well, so she can't come out to greet the guests. Please forgive

her, gentlemen." The guests were all greatly disappointed. The bearded man from before stepped forward and said, "Since Miss Ziyuan is unwell, that's fine. Here's a small gift, a token of my wish to wish Miss Ziyuan a happy birthday. Please pass it on and tell her that Qin Hu of Nanyang will forever be grateful for Miss Ziyuan's life-saving grace." He then handed a wooden box to the maidservant, bowed three times towards the pavilion, and the maidservant took the gift inside.

Zhao Pingbo watched, snorting and sneering. After Qin Hu finished bowing, he stood up and said, "Young Master Zhao, what's so laughable?" Zhao Pingbo said, "Are you Qin Hu, the magistrate of Nanyang?" Qin Hu replied, "Yes, I am."

Zhao Pingbo sneered, "A real man bowing to a woman? You're supposed to be an official, yet you have no backbone."

Qin Hu glared and said loudly, "Young Master Zhao, I dare not refute your words. However, I have received a great favor from Miss Ziyuan, so kneeling before her is not unreasonable." Zhao Pingbo sneered several more times. Many people around whispered among themselves. Some said, "This young master shows no respect for anyone." Others asked, "What favor did Magistrate Qin receive from Miss Ziyuan?" Still others replied, "This man was wrongfully imprisoned, and it was Miss Ziyuan who found a way to pull strings for him."

Wen Yuan was already displeased with Zhao Pingbo's arrogant demeanor when he suddenly heard a woman's voice: "Is that Magistrate Qin from Nanyang?"

The tone was gentle and melodious, and Wen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He felt an inexplicable familiarity with the voice, yet he had never heard it before. He was stunned for a moment, thinking, "I shouldn't have heard this voice before, but why does it seem like I've heard it before?"

He saw the gauze curtain being lifted diagonally, revealing a woman dressed in a light blue silk robe. Her face was delicate and elegant, her eyes were bright and intelligent, her long hair was like clouds, and her figure was slender and delicate. With a light step, she seemed like a jade maiden draped in mist, graceful and otherworldly. The area in front of the pavilion fell silent, and one could almost hear the sound of the thin gauze falling.

Everyone was stunned and speechless.

Upon seeing the girl, Qin Hu was overjoyed. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Miss Ziyuan, since you are ill, you should take good care of yourself." Ziyuan smiled faintly and said softly, "Magistrate Qin has always been fair in enforcing the law. My own wrongful conviction has been overturned, which is the manifestation of justice. How could I, a mere woman, dare to take credit?" Seeing this smile, Wen Yuan was involuntarily captivated. He thought to himself, "The poem says: 'Hands like tender shoots, skin like congealed cream, neck like a cicada's, teeth like melon seeds, a beautiful forehead and moth-like eyebrows, a charming smile, and beautiful, bright eyes.' Was this written specifically to describe her? How could such a person exist in the world?" The girl before him had a different kind of beauty than Hua Xuan and Xiao Murong. She was all soft, yet she possessed a resilience that could not be bullied by force, making her difficult to describe.

Zhao Pingbo gazed at Zi Yuan from afar. Her graceful figure and jade-like face surpassed even Chang'e of the moon, and he was utterly captivated. He nodded, saying, "Truly the most beautiful woman of our time, unparalleled in the world!" Turning to Qin Hu, he smiled, "Magistrate Qin, your bows are quite appropriate. Such a beauty, you should naturally bow at her feet." Qin Hu replied solemnly, "This humble official is only grateful for your kindness, and has no other intentions!"

A wealthy man hurriedly approached Granny Zhu and whispered, "Granny Zhu, name your price, let Miss Zi Yuan accompany me, even for a short while." A general nearby shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? Miss Zi Yuan needs to rest, didn't you hear?" Another person called out, "Miss Zi Yuan..." Before he could finish, he was pushed aside and couldn't continue. Everyone squeezed towards the center, wanting to get closer to Zi Yuan. Zhao Pingbo's men, Ke Yantai and Shao Fei, stepped forward to stop them, but they couldn't control the situation.

Zhao Pingbo stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Miss Ziyuan, I am Zhao Pingbo, the heir apparent of Prince Jingwei, and I have come to wish you a happy birthday." Ziyuan returned the greeting and simply replied, "Thank you."

Zhao Pingbo took out a white jade flute from his robes and said with a smile, "I will present you with a piece as a birthday gift."

Ziyuan said calmly, "I am

honored to hear your elegant performance." Zhao Pingbo then placed the jade flute in his hand and began to play. The tone was soft and ethereal, quite beautiful. Wen Yuan, having come to his senses, listened to the flute for a while and thought to himself, "This heir apparent does understand music, but not very well."

When the piece was finished, many people cheered loudly, and even some who did not understand music offered indiscriminate flattery. Zhao Pingbo smiled slightly at Ziyuan, who simply said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhao Pingbo laughed and said, "I've heard that Miss Ziyuan is also skilled in music. May I have the pleasure of listening to her?" Ziyuan remained silent for a while before replying, "This humble woman is truly not in the mood today..." Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Pingbo leaped into the pavilion, landed beside Ziyuan, took her small hands, placed the flute in her hands, and laughed, "This flute is for you. Play a tune."

Seeing Zhao Pingbo's frivolous behavior, treating Ziyuan as if she were his concubine, the others were quite indignant. However, because he was the prince, they could not retaliate, but the officials and gentry were seething with jealousy.

Qin Hu shouted, "Young Master Zhao, please don't overstep your bounds!" Shao Fei pushed him aside and yelled, "What right do you, a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, have to interrupt?" Qin Hu retorted angrily, "And who do you think you are, acting like a dog relying on your master's power?" Shao Fei was furious and kicked him to the ground, cursing, "So, you don't respect our Jingwei Prince's Mansion, do you?"

Although Qin Hu wasn't a military officer, he had practiced martial arts for a few years. How could he not be angry at being insulted like this? He stood up, about to step forward to argue, but then he noticed Zi Yuan's brows furrowed slightly, clearly in a bad mood. He could only suppress his anger and step aside.

Zhao Pingbo seemed oblivious to what was happening outside the pavilion. Seeing that Zi Yuan didn't answer, he immediately smiled and said, "If you don't want to play this flute, I'll take it back. Tonight, I'll give you another precious flute, and we can spar with each other, how about that?"

Most of the people present understood the implication. Some showed jealousy, some gritted their teeth, some frowned, and some watched the show with amusement.

Suddenly, Zi Yuan returned the jade flute with both hands, saying, "This humble woman dares not accept such a generous gift. If Young Master Zhao is in the mood, there are many sisters in Shuiyan Tower who are skilled in music. Please make yourself at home." Zhao Pingbo was taken aback, his face turned pale, and he didn't know how to save face.

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Chapter Sixteen of the Ten Scenes Satin

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