Shui Xinyuan sat quietly in the darkness, feeling the movement of mice from time to time.
Yun Shang came to check on her several times and asked her if she wanted to eat fruit and drink water, but she didn't want to eat uneasily in the company of mice, so she declined Yun Shang and continued to bring food.
She didn't dare to light a candle, worried that she would see the candlelight outside, and she couldn't help but feel glad that it was not the cold season.
When she thought of Lu Fusu, tears would flow down uncontrollably, and she could only try to think of other things.
If there was only one assassin chasing him, it would be fine as long as he was not discovered by the man he met in the corridor of Hongyuan Tower.
Although I had only glanced at him just now, the man was not tall and his eyes were fierce.
It was too dark in the corridor just now, so I couldn't see clearly, so I can't remember the characteristics of that person now.
She only knew one thing, the other party wanted to kill her.
…can’t die…
We must return to Lu Fusu alive.
Lu Fusu must be very worried now, at least he must return to him safely...
"..."
She couldn't help crying again and quickly pressed her eyes with her palms.
...No, I have to think of other things...
At this time, there was the sound of the door opening, and a faint light shone in.
"Shui Ling'er?"
"……I am here."
Taking a closer look, she found Yun Shang waving to her from the crack in the door.
"Come out, hurry up, hurry up."
"..."
Shui Xinyuan looked around and came to the corridor. Yun Shang, who was holding a candle, took her hand.
"Just now, the last guest left. There are no guests staying overnight today. Everyone has gone back to their rooms. Let's go to the second floor now. It's at least more comfortable than the warehouse."
"well."
She followed Yun Shang up the steep and narrow stairs like a ladder, and walked into the first room at the top of the stairs.
"This is a room for banquets. My room is too small, and I share a room with others."
Shui Xinyuan looked carefully and found that the room was indeed relatively large, with a large round table and chairs placed in the corner.
Yun Shang took two chairs from there and placed them by the window.
"Sitting here, you won't be able to see anyone even if someone is looking at the door. Oh, you can open the window, but don't stick your head out. There are still many people on the road before dawn."
"Okay, thank you."
Yun Shang lit the candle hanging on the wall with the candle in her hand. The candle almost melted and became very short.
"Wait for me a little longer, and I'll go take a look at the situation below."
Yun Shang walked out energetically.
Shui Xinyuan looked at the candlelight and calmed down a little.
Although I have adapted to the darkness, it is still better to have light after all.
Maybe I was too nervous in the dark just now, and now I feel a little tired.
She looked blankly at the kitten placed by the window and the monkey on the horse. A woman's shrill laughter came from the window.
"..."
She looked down through the gap in the unclosed rain window and found that a guest was coming out of the restaurant opposite. The geisha who came out to see the guest was holding the guest's hand affectionately, talking and laughing.
There are many lights at the entrance of the restaurant, which illuminate the road very brightly in the middle of the night.
……Huh?
Two guests walked out of the restaurant. They were dressed like officials. They looked familiar and were very young.
they are……
"ah!"
Shui Xinyuan couldn't help but scream, hurriedly covered her mouth and left the rain window.
...Eh...isn't that Zhuyan and Yao'er's husband?
They are all aristocrats, and they are all ministers of Huangmen in the province.
During this time, the two ladies, who were originally at odds with each other, suddenly became good friends. Unexpectedly, their husbands also had a good relationship, and they went to the restaurant together to play.
Although they finally met an acquaintance, Zhuyan and Yaoer still regarded Shui Xinyuan as a thorn in their side, so it was difficult for Shui Xinyuan to ask their husband for help.
Although I had never heard that Huangmen Shilang was against Lu Fusu before, those nobles could not believe it easily.
...Although Zhuge Qing is also a noble...
I really hope that in addition to the Zhuge family, there are other noble families who can also show sincerity to me.
She looked out the window again, saw Zhuyan and Yaoer's husband, smiled and said to the geisha who came out to see off the guests, "come back another day" and left.
The geishas also smiled and waved to them. When the two people walked away, the geisha immediately lowered her hands feebly and walked into the shop with a tired face.
"..."
It turns out this is Chunhua Street.
From time to time, laughter, coquettish voices and sweet words could be heard from the street downstairs.
Shui Xinyuan suddenly felt uneasy.
Could it be that she was a geisha who was sold to Chunhua Street, and now she finally woke up from a long dream... The husband who usually sleeps next to her is just a phantom in the dream?
"……emperor?"
The name she called out was lost in the noise downstairs.
No one answered.
...where...is this?
Which one is the dream?
"...Shui Ling'er?"
Yun Shang returned upstairs and grabbed the arm of Shui Xinyuan who was standing by the window blankly.
"Shui Ling'er, what's wrong with you?"
"..."
Yun Shang stared at Shui Xinyuan's face and frowned.
"Could it be...are you crying?"
"..."
"Fool...it doesn't matter if you cry! You were almost killed and you couldn't go home. Anyone would want to cry. Moreover, you have been hiding alone in a dark warehouse for so long. If you want to cry, you can endure it.
, be careful you will go crazy."
Yun Shang poked Shui Xinyuan on the shoulder, reminding her of her friend who took good care of her when she was a palace servant.
"..."
Her eyes shed tears unconsciously.
Shui Xinyuan suddenly realized that he hadn't shed tears for a long time... Because he didn't want Lu Fusu, the maid and Qing'er to worry, so no matter what happened, he would tell himself in his heart that this little thing doesn't matter.
Yun Shang sat on another chair, patting the back of Shui Xinyuan who was bowing his head and sobbing.
The tears finally stopped. She took out a handkerchief from her arms, wiped her face, and said softly: "I'm sorry."
Yun Shang put one hand on Erlang's legs, supported her chin, and chuckled.
"When you want to cry, cry as much as you want. I cry often too."
"Yunshang, you too...?"
"I won't cry in front of others because I'm not suitable for crying."
"how come……"
At this time, there was a slight cough and the sound of footsteps going upstairs. Yun Shang whispered to her: "Don't talk."
"Yunshang? Are you here?"
"……I'm here!"
Hearing Yun Shang's answer, the footsteps stopped on the stairs. The man coughed two or three more times before finally continuing to ask: "Aren't you going to sleep? I'm going to blow out the candle below!"
"Okay. I'm going to practice here before going to sleep."
"You want to practice again? Hey...it doesn't matter! But don't be too loud. Good night."
"I know, good night!"
The footsteps and coughing gradually became distant and finally could not be heard anymore.
After the movement completely disappeared, Shui Xinyuan breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Yun Shang.
"The body of the person just now..."
"Oh, that's right! I must have caught a cold. We can't afford medicine, so it's hard to get over a cold."
"..."
Shui Xinyuan found that although he had left the warehouse, there was a damp musty smell in the room. Such an environment would indeed affect his health.
Not only here, but also in the store called Hongyuanlou just now, I felt like I couldn't breathe smoothly.
I thought it was because I was sitting at the same table as the noble lady, but it seemed that it was not just because of that, it might be because of the lack of air circulation.
"Okay... I'm sorry, I have to practice here."
"practise……"
"Yes, I want to practice dancing."
……dance……
Shui Xinyuan's eyes widened, and Yun Shang stood up with a smile.
"I dance here for the customers and earn tips."
"...When did you start dancing?"
"It's been almost six years since I was sold here at the age of 12. They told me that if I didn't want to sell my sex, I had to do a show...so I practiced dancing hard, but I didn't expect to find that dancing is also very interesting."
"Maybe it's in line with my interests!" Yun Shang said as she moved her hands and feet and relaxed her body.
"Although it is less money than selling sex, people often say that once you drink the water of Huajieliuxiang, it will be difficult to live in other places. So I thought, in this case, it is better to practice dance seriously here."
"..."
Yun Shang's expression revealed her frustration... No woman sells herself voluntarily, nor can she come to a place like this voluntarily.
"Where are you from?"
"I grew up in Youzhou, and it's very hot there now."
She tapped her toes on the floor twice and then started dancing.
Since there was no music, I didn't know which piece of music she was dancing to. I could only guess from the movements of her feet that it was a fast-paced dance.
Although her dance steps were spot on, her hand movements were a bit sloppy.
Shui Xinyuan thought of the person who asked just now. The reason why Yun Shang didn't let go was probably because he was afraid of disturbing other people who were sleeping.
...The movements of her arms and fingertips also need to be strengthened...
Her dance is cheerful, but lacks delicacy... If she were a palace actress, she could perform at the banquet as long as she paid attention to these small details.
very nice……
I almost forgot about it because I was caught up in the situation in front of me.
Three days later, no, it's already midnight now, and two days later there will be a festive banquet. Although they only dance "Snow Moon, Wind Flowers", Shui Xinyuan really wants to practice dancing.
Recently, too many aristocratic ladies came to visit, which took up a lot of time. Shui Xinyuan felt very stressed after not going to the workshop for a long time.
...It seems that I shouldn't continue the same life as when I was a court lady...
Although Lu Fusu did not stop her from practicing dancing, she heard gossip from time to time, saying that as a queen, she should be more careful in her words and deeds, and that it was out of character to be so friendly with a low-status palace servant.
At this time, Yun Shang's arms were entangled with the dancing silk and she could only stop.
She adjusted her rapid breathing and frowned.
"Oh...it's so annoying."
"What music are you dancing to?"
"Is this one? It's 'Qingyu'."
"ah?"
Shui Xinyuan once learned "Qingyu" and danced very well. The rhythm of that piece of music is indeed very fast.
"Really...because the movements were different, I didn't notice..."
"Would you do the same?"
"Yes...I used to be a palace concubine."
Yun Shang opened her big eyes in surprise.
"Gongji?"
"Yep."
"Oh, it turns out you used to be a court actress...that's great..."
"Why?"
Yun Shang brushed her hair on her shoulders and said with a wry smile: "Don't laugh at me... That's my dream."
"..."
"If you can't be a palace actress, you can be a palace actress... No matter how serious I dance here, I'm dancing for those drunkards, and no one will appreciate it seriously."
Therefore, others seldom practice dancing...
Yun Shang's expression when she muttered was the same discouragement as before.
"...But, is there someone teaching dancing here?"
"In the past two years, it was a sister who used to be here. After she went to other restaurants, I practiced dancing according to my own ideas, so I made no progress at all."
If self-study could reach this level, it would be great. Shui Xinyuan couldn't help but stand up.
"Can you lend me your shawl?"
She borrowed a long silk scarf from Yun Shang and started dancing from the first few bars where Yun Shang had not danced smoothly enough just now.
"here……"
The fluttering silk cloth naturally matched Shui Xinyuan's movements.
"Although the rhythm of this piece of music is very fast, you can pause for a beat. Don't shrink your arms. You can try to turn your wrist."
"Uh-huh."
Yun Shang blinked, took the shawl, and at Shui Xinyuan's signal, started dancing from the same place.
Shui Xinyuan beat Yun Shang's hands with his hands. Yun Shang's movements were still a bit stiff, but this time when he swung the silk scarf, it didn't get tangled in his hands.
"I know how..."
"That's it."
"It's incredible...I get stuck every time I jump here..."
Yun Shang clapped her hands happily, like an innocent girl, and Shui Xinyuan also laughed.
"Wow... you really deserve to be a palace accomplice. So it turns out that the 'Qingyu' dance performed by a palace accomplice is different?"
"I watched you dance just now, and I noticed a big difference... Can you lend me another dance?"
Shui Xinyuan stood in the center of the room holding the shawl, took a deep breath, and then exhaled.
She regained her usual moderate tension and high mood, forgetting about the discomfort and fainting just now.
She tapped the time with her toes and recalled the music of "Qingyu".
In the green season, in the continuous rain, a man runs towards his beloved woman.
The woman looking at the rain on the second floor of her home, waiting for her man...
Shui Xinyuan danced his sleeves.
The soft sound of footsteps on the floor was like the sound of rain hitting the roof.
The running man dances boldly, while the waiting woman even has delicate fingertips.
Chen Shaowu once told her that every dance is a story.
Dancing skills are important, but using your own dance to express the entire story is even more important.
To do this, you must understand the story behind each dance.
After meeting Lu Fusu, Shui Xinyuan finally realized what Chen Shaowu taught her.
She understood the mood of a man running towards his sweetheart, and the mood of a woman who, while waiting, was worried that the man might not be able to come because of the rain.
After marrying Lu Fusu, when she came home from dance practice, she would often talk to Lu Fusu about the stories behind the dances before going to bed. Lu Fusu also liked to listen to these dance stories.
When telling the story of 'Qing Yu' before, Lu Fusu silently hugged her tightly.
...At that time, he should have recalled the same thing...
Shui Xinyuan once went to Donghe Hall where Lu Fusu lived in the rain, and also ran to Donghe Hall to see him out of missing him.
The moment when her inner thoughts and dance merged together made her extremely excited.
Because she always dances for one person...
The shawl slowly fell on the shoulders, like arms hugging tightly.
Shui Xinyuan has finished beating.
Yun Shang stood blankly, her mouth slightly opened, as if she wanted to say something.
"This... I'll give it back to you."
Shui Xinyuan returned the shawl to her, and Yun Shang finally blinked.
"What you danced just now...was it a palace dance?"
"Yes, the movements are different from yours. This is the 'Qingyu' dance I learned."
"It's not just actions..."
Yun Shang staggered and fell on the chair.
"...It's completely different. In comparison, mine can't be called a dance at all..."
"Yun Shang, your dance is excellent even when you dance alone. Have you ever learned 'Feng Qiu Huang'?"
"I...have never learned."
Yun Shang sighed and narrowed his eyes.
"If I were born a little later...maybe I would have a chance to become a palace concubine."
"Why?"
"At that time, after we were bought by human traffickers, we could not freely choose where to go. Almost all the girls in our village were sold to Chunhua Street... But now we can decide where to go."
"..."
Human trafficking was prohibited in the new law enacted after Lu Fusu came to power.
Although Shui Xinyuan never participated in politics, Lu Fusu specially set up this rule for her.
Although human trafficking has been banned, it will take some time to improve poverty in the countryside, and manpower from other places is also needed in the city. Therefore, there is a temporary compromise. Every spring, every county in each state recruits people from the countryside who want to go out to make money.
After understanding where each person wants to go and what kind of work they want to do, introduce them to employers who need manpower.