Chapter 185: Youhua Fairy
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
“Youhua Fairy?”
He Yan was stunned, and the people on the boat who heard this name were also stunned. The songstress holding the pipa was also shaken. She looked at Lin Shuanghe for a long time and called uncertainly, “Young Master Lin?”
It was indeed Youhua Fairy!
He Yan hurried forward, subconsciously rubbing her eyes, afraid that all of this was just a dream. Who would have known that as soon as Lin Shuanghe mentioned Youhua Fairy, they really encountered Youhua Fairy. However… how could Youhua Fairy be in Jinling?
Not only He Yan was surprised, Lin Shuanghe said, “You…aren’t you married? Didn’t you go to Yangzhou with that scholar surnamed Wang? How could you appear in Jinling? Am I dreaming?” He turned to look at everyone, and their reactions told him that it was indeed real.
Seeing everyone’s reaction, Youhua Fairy smiled and said, “This lady and her husband have separated. After all, Yangzhou is not my hometown, so I came back to Jinling. I’ve only been in Jinling for half a month. I didn’t expect to meet all the young masters here.” She bent her eyes and looked charming, “After many years, are you all well, young masters?”
Lin Shuanghe moved his lips, and after a while, he squeezed out a sentence, “Still good. But, Youhua Fairy, you…”
“I’ve returned to Cloud Pavilion,” Youhua Fairy said calmly. “I’ve always been raised in Cloud Pavilion. In Jinling City, Cloud Pavilion is also my home.” She looked at everyone, “If the young masters have nothing to do, why not go to Cloud Pavilion later? Cloud Pavilion is not as good as before, but… it’s still not bad.”
Lin Shuanghe turned around and asked everyone, “Shall we go to Cloud Pavilion? It’s been so many years, I want to take a look again.”
This time, even the usually critical Yan He did not speak. Everyone agreed without saying a word.
Seeing this, Youhua Fairy smiled and ordered the boatman to lead the two boats to the shore. He Yan stared at the hazy lights on the riverbank, unable to calm her heart.
In Jinling, there are beautiful women, and half of them are in Cloud Pavilion. Each girl in the building has a flower (hua) name when she reaches a certain age. However, Youhua Fairy’s name is not some common character like peony or carnation. She named herself after the travel notes, and the legend said that the pillow from the country of Kucha is as colorful as agate. Sleeping on it would allow one to dream of the ten continents, three islands, four seas, and five lakes. Her name is Traveling (You) Immortal Pillow.
When Youhua Fairy was fourteen years old, she became famous throughout Great Wei because of her appearance. She was also talented and versatile in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. How many sons and grandsons were willing to spend a lot of money to exchange for a smile from her? Naturally, she became the undisputed top courtesan in Cloud Pavilion. For the young men from the Xianchang Academy, she was like a fairy in the nine heavens. Not to mention the ordinary singing girls in the brothel, even for these kids with strict family education who would be beaten by family law if they entered the brothel, Youhua Fairy was a dream that was almost impossible to achieve. They just wanted to see the legendary peerless beauty, even if they couldn’t touch her.
Therefore, the Jinling poetry gathering was an opportunity that the young men couldn’t ask for. Each of them was eager to try, rubbing their hands. With Lin Shuanghe, a person who frequently came up with unconventional ideas, the various young men quickly decided to bring their own servants and guards.
He Yan was a girl and didn’t yearn for the “dream lover” of Youhua Fairy like the young men did, but she also wanted to see what color the beauty praised as a once-in-a-century beauty by the world was. But in anticipation, she was also a bit nervous. If her father, He Yuansheng, knew about it, she didn’t know how long she would be punished to kneel in front of the ancestral hall.
The young men who came out together were all rich or noble, and they naturally did not lack money. However, it was the first time they entered a brothel, and they lacked experience. They dressed themselves like peacocks, thinking that this would make them appear confident. Except for Yang Mingzhi, Xiao Jue, and He Yan, the three of them. Xiao Jue, who was used to wearing a white robe and silver crown, had a handsome face and a cold demeanor. Yang Mingzhi was a humble gentleman with a handsome and elegant demeanor. He Yan was afraid of attracting attention. She was already wearing a mask, so if she dressed like Yan He, who wore gold and silver, it was afraid that news would spread back by tomorrow to the He family in Shuojing. Therefore, she dressed the most ordinary and stood beside the row of rich young men, like a servant following them.
Although this young man wore a mask, he still wrapped his face tightly.
Ding Mama from Cloud Pavilion was well-versed in reading people. At a glance, she could tell that these young men were inexperienced, but she also saw that their backgrounds were extraordinary. She treated them even more warmly, ordering the best food and wine, and calling for smart and obedient girls to stand by and serve.
The young men felt elated being served, feeling that they had finally gained some status and were no longer seen as children in the eyes of their fathers and brothers. As the alcohol warmed their ears, someone remembered their purpose and asked the girl beside him, “Where is Youhua Fairy? Why haven’t we seen Youhua Fairy? We came here to see Youhua Fairy!”
The girl wanted to deceive them but whispered in the young man’s ear, “If the young master says so, it hurts the heart of Cailian. Am I not good enough? How can you think of others so devotedly?”
Although she was not stunning, she had a delicate appearance, immediately evoking a sense of pity. Just as the young man was about to comfort her, Lin Shuanghe unfolded his folding fan and said in a rather romantic manner, “We have eleven guests here, and everyone is thinking about Cailian. I’m afraid Cailian won’t be able to handle it.”
Yan He also said, “Right!” After that, he threw a silver ingot on the table, “We want to see Youhua Fairy!”
This group of young masters seems to have a high status. They dare not offend the lotus pickers. Seeing that they can’t fool around, they thought about it and went to bring reinforcements, Ding Mama.
Ding Mama waved her handkerchief apologetically, “Gentlemen, I’m really sorry. Lately, Miss You fairy has not been feeling well and is resting. She cannot see guests. Since the young masters like Miss You Fairy, how about coming back after some time? Today’s hospitality at Cloud Pavilion was inadequate. Ding Xiang, go fetch the Drunken Red Dust from Cloud Pavilion. Today’s wine is a gift from us to the young masters. I hope the young masters can bear with us.”
Having spent so many years at Cloud Pavilion, Ding Mama had dealt with all kinds of people, and handling a group of young boys was a piece of cake. After expressing her apologies several times, she asked everyone not to say anything more. After she left, the young men looked at the wine jar on the table and exchanged glances. One of them said, “Is it over just like this?”
“How can it be like this?” Another person was quite dissatisfied. “Our luck is really bad. If we wait for some time, once the poetry meeting is over, we have to go back. Isn’t this trip in vain?”
“That’s right! We just wanted to see what she looks like. Sitting still is fine; she doesn’t need to play the zither or dance. Otherwise, how can we boast to others after going back?”
“I’ve prepared the silver. This is too miserable!”
He Yan silently picked at the fried peanuts in front of her. This had nothing to do with her. She had no right to speak, nor did she want to. Whether it was the Youhua Fairy or Rose Jasmine, it didn’t matter to her since it wasn’t her money.
But the young men were different. They came all the way to Jinling, not just for a poetry meeting. Their interest in the legendary Youhua Fairy was stronger. So, as they discussed, they came up with a bad idea.
“All the girls in Cloud Pavilion live in the pavillion. Let’s inquire about Youhua Fairy’s residence and try to find her by climbing through the window?”
The rose pastry in He Yan’s mouth fell with a “plop.” Crumbs splattered on Xiao Jue beside her, and he brushed them away with a slightly furrowed brow.
However, the young man seemed to have hit upon a good idea and was extremely excited. “Yes, let’s do that! I won’t do anything. This time, I bought a hairpin from Shuojing Treasures Lane in Shuojing. I want to give this hairpin to her and see what she looks like. If she dislikes me, I won’t go in. If the fairy girl is kind-hearted, I’ll climb in and ask if she can meet us. We came all the way from Shuojing specifically to see her. It would be a pity not to try a little, right?”
He Yan thought to herself, indeed, blinded by desire. They even think of such methods. How is this different from those peeping toms, stealing flowers in the night? Are all men in the world like this? Infatuated with beauty to the extent of disregarding their dignity.
But she didn’t expect that as soon as this bad idea was proposed, it received the approval of the majority. Other young men echoed, “Is this idea good? Let’s just do it this way!”
Little He Yan endured it for a while, mainly because she was a woman, and couldn’t help but remind them, “If someone finds out, they might think we are flower thieves… Moreover, entering without an invitation, wouldn’t that ruin the clear reputation of Youhua Fairy?”
At that time, the young men were naive and hadn’t thought much about the girls in Cloud Pavilion, who didn’t really have much “reputation” to speak of. After some crooked thinking, someone said, “We’ll just knock on the window from outside, pass in a note, and if she agrees, I’ll go in. Before that, I won’t enter her room.”
He Yan: “…”
What’s the difference in the end?
The young men, saying and doing, immediately went to inquire about where Youhua Fairy lived. Although they were a bit clumsy in matters of love, they weren’t really dull. After all, they were chosen from Xianchang Academy to participate in the poetry meeting, all clever, and generous. In no time, they learned from other girls where Youhua Fairy lived.
Youhua Fairy lived on the top floor of the pavillion, behind the house next to a lake, with no one else around. Among these ten young men, most of them are quite skilled—generally speaking, the students in Xianchang Pavilion are well-rounded in both literary and martial arts. Individuals like Yang Mingzhi, who excel exclusively in literature while being completely inept in martial arts, are truly rare.
The leading young man, eager to try, turned to ask Xiao Jue and Yan He, “Why don’t you two go first?”
After all, these two were among the best in martial arts, and climbing a wall was like walking on flat ground.
Xiao Jue: “I’m not going.”
Yan He said disdainfully, “I’m not going either. I’m not a prowler!”
Lin Shuanghe wanted to go, but unfortunately, his martial arts were really not good. Not to mention climbing walls, even walking too much made his back ache. He couldn’t be the first to go up. Yang Mingzhi, always polite and courteous, had already been dragged here reluctantly by everyone. He wouldn’t do something so impolite.
The words of He Yan had long been automatically ignored by the young men.
Seeing this scene, the young man didn’t say much, just spat on his hands twice and quietly climbed up with the rope. He Yan stood below, looking at the disappearing point in the night, thinking: this is too much.
One person climbing the window, a group keeping a lookout. After all, if one person got into trouble, the other students from the academy couldn’t escape. No one wanted to go back and face family punishment. Therefore, they were exceptionally vigilant, but the security behind Cloud Pavilion was quite lax. Generally, they thought that no one would dare to openly abduct someone at this time.
When He Yan almost strained her neck, there was finally movement on the other end, and the rope started shaking. Before long, the young man who went up came down.
He looked excited, his face flushed. His classmates by his side asked eagerly, “How was it? Did you see her?”
The child nodded desperately.
Everyone became more enthusiastic, “How? Is Youhua Fairy really as amazing as the rumors say?”
Again, he nodded desperately.
“Well, how is her health?” This one was somewhat compassionate, still remembering that Youhua Fairy hadn’t been feeling well lately. “Is she very haggard? Is it severe? Do we need to invite a famous doctor to take a look?”
The young man puffed up his cheeks and after a while, squeezed out a sentence, “She… Youhua Fairy, is locked in the room, under house arrest! When I passed the note, she opened the window for me to come in and asked if I could help her get out.”
Everyone looked at each other, not understanding what he meant. Lin Shuanghe put away his fan and asked in confusion, “Are you saying that Cloud Pavilion mistreats her?”
The young man nodded, then shook his head, and finally stomped his foot, “I can’t explain it. Forget it, just come up with me!”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
He Yan’s heart thudded; this matter was getting bigger and bigger.
“It’s okay. Youhua Fairy said that those people only go to her room twice a day. They’ve been there today, and they won’t go again. Her door is locked, and there are guards downstairs. We can go up first to find out what’s going on. If there’s a real problem, as upright men, are we going to stand by and watch?”
Teenagers at this age generally yearned to be the “heroes” who could one day become the hero who saves the beauty. The more beautiful the woman, the more it highlights the prowess of the hero. If that beauty is truly unparalleled, then it’s even better; the hero is sure to become a legend.
He Yan instinctively refused, “This… isn’t it inappropriate? How about I stay here to watch for you? I won’t go up.”
The young men looked at him with burning eyes, “What’s inappropriate? You, little guy, are weak and easily bullied. I bet as soon as there’s a movement, you’ll run away on your own. We can’t trust you! Brother Mingzhi, you have a weak body, how about you stay to watch?”
Yang Mingzhi gladly agreed.
Xiao Jue and Yan He initially didn’t want to go, but under the persuasion of the older ones, they reluctantly agreed. He Yan felt like she was about to vomit blood, but there was nothing she could do. Following the crowd, they climbed up to the attic along the rope. The window at the attic was already open, and one by one, the young men went in. Upon entering, they felt a burst of fragrance from a woman. There was only a dim oil lamp in the room. Sitting on a wicker chair under the lamp was an incomparably beautiful woman.
There were quite a few beauties in Shuojing, but the woman in front of them had her own charm. Her eyes were round, but the corners were sharp, outlining innocence in her beauty. Her skin was extremely fair, and her lip color was startling. Her long hair was casually hanging behind her head, complementing the vermilion-colored gauze robe, radiating a dazzling charm. Her appearance was beyond words, and her gentle demeanor and charming gestures, bewitching in speech, gave the impression of a goddess descending to the mortal world.
The usually arrogant and noisy young men became silent in front of this woman. Each of them blushed, showing a hint of astonishment in their eyes.
He Yan’s face was covered with a mask, and she just thought, it turns out there really are women this good-looking in the world.
“I am Youhua Fairy.” The woman smiled like a flower, her voice melodious, “Greetings, young masters.”
Youhua Fairy was a few years older than the eldest of these children, and because she had always stayed in Cloud Pavilion, she didn’t appear the slightest bit inexperienced. The children, suddenly spoken to, stuttered and couldn’t speak. Even Lin Shuanghe, who was most skilled in this, didn’t know what to say for a while.
It was Xiao Jue who spoke first, calmly asking, “I heard that Miss has been confined?”
Youhua Fairy looked at Xiao Jue, and her gaze couldn’t help but pause. The reason was simple; this boy’s appearance was overly outstanding among his peers. However, his gaze remained calm and unaffected by her appearance. Seeing his eyes, plain as water, was rare, and Youhua Fairy found it interesting. Soon, she replied, “Yes.”
“Who confined you?” Yan He was straightforward and asked directly, “Is it the Mama of Cloud Pavilion?”
“No.” Youhua Fairy smiled. Although she was a Cloud Pavilion woman, she spoke to these young men without being overly humble or presumptuous, perfectly grasping the balance. Not too distant, not too presumptuous. “Mama is helpless too. The one who confined me here is the cousin of the governor’s wife.”
This twist was a bit far-fetched, and Lin Shuanghe, who had seen all kinds of novels, immediately asked, “Does that person want to forcibly marry you back to his house?”
Youhua Fairy looked at the young master in front of her, who held a fan, with a slight surprise and then smiled, “Yes.”
For a moment, there were low gasps in the room, accompanied by angry reprimands.
“How can this be? This local official is too overbearing!”
“Is there no one to control him? In broad daylight, forcibly taking a civilian girl! This is a violation of the law.”
“Is there any way we can help you get out?”
Youhua Fairy looked at these young boys, smiled, her voice gentle, soothingly said, “Actually, it’s fine. After entering Cloud Pavilion, being out of one’s control, I had already anticipated today. It’s just that I have implicated others, so…” Her expression became melancholy, a layer of worry appeared between her brows.
A beautiful woman in distress is truly pitiable. Yan He flicked his ponytail and said, “Miss, feel free to speak. If you’re in trouble, we might be able to solve it for you.” He cleared his throat and boasted, “This young master’s family background is much stronger than that Governor’s cousin.”
Although he dressed quite ostentatiously, with layers of gold and silver threads embroidered on his clothes, it could be seen that he came from a wealthy family. Not just him, among this group of young men, especially the one in white, none of them seemed like ordinary people. Youhua Fairy, who had been in Cloud Pavilion since childhood, might not be as sharp-tongued as Mama Ding, but she was better than an average person in reading people. With Yan He saying this, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in her heart. Here, as a weak woman, she couldn’t compete with the government. Even in Cloud Pavilion, Mama Ding had to consider the face of Yingtian Mansion. But if, as this young master said, he was more formidable than the governor, perhaps there was still a chance.
How she herself fared was not important… What was crucial was that the person was okay.
Thinking of this, Youhua Fairy smiled at Yan He and asked softly, “May I ask for the young master’s full name?”
Yan He blushed from Youhua Fairy’s smile. He was about to say his name when he suddenly remembered that he had come to Cloud Pavilion behind his family’s back. He said, “My surname is Yan.”
“It turns out to be Young Master Yan,” Youhua Fairy looked at him with a gentle gaze. “Regardless, I’ll thank Young Master first.” She sighed softly, “Actually, this matter arose because of me…”
As Lin Shuanghe had guessed, Youhua Fairy, who had been famous throughout the world since she was fourteen in Cloud Pavilion, had no shortage of suitors once she turned sixteen.
Mama Ding was reluctant to let go of this cash cow. Of course, she wanted to keep Youhua Fairy for a few more years. After all, they had a mother-daughter relationship for many years, and there was some warmth between them. Mama Ding also considered that when the time came, she would find a good family to marry Youhua Fairy. With Youhua Fairy’s status, becoming a wife might invite criticism, but being a concubine in a wealthy family, serving well for a few years, and having a son, the future might not be bad.
However, when Youhua Fairy turned eighteen, she fell in love with someone.
This person was named Wang Sheng, not a local of Jinling but from Yangzhou. More precisely, he was the eldest son of a wealthy silk merchant in Yangzhou, who came to Jinling with friends for business. He happened to enter Cloud Pavilion once, was amazed by Youhua Fairy, and fell in love at first sight.
Youhua Fairy, with such fame, had countless young gentlemen who admired her. Among them, Wang Sheng wasn’t particularly outstanding. Unfortunately, matters of the heart are inexplicable. Youhua Fairy, among all the young gentlemen, singled out the scholarly-looking Wang Sheng.
To be honest, although Wang Sheng came from a merchant family, he had remarkable literary talent. His family hoped he would take the imperial examination and enter officialdom, but Wang Sheng found such actions too utilitarian. He only wished to roam freely in the world, which coincided with Youhua Fairy’s lifelong wish. On the first day they met, they drank and chatted all night. Coming from a family in the business, Wang Sheng had heard many strange and fascinating stories from his travels, while Youhua Fairy, who had never left Cloud Pavilion, was naturally drawn to these stories.
With both talent and beauty, the stage was set, and everything fell into place.
Mama Ding didn’t think highly of Wang Sheng. She felt that Wang Sheng’s family was just in business, and it would be better for Youhua Fairy to be a concubine in an official’s family than to marry into a business family. Moreover, if Youhua Fairy followed Wang Sheng, she would have to go to Yangzhou, a long and distant journey, and they might not meet again.
She didn’t want Youhua Fairy to leave Jinling.
“My good daughter, don’t let a man deceive you. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot,” Mama Ding gently persuaded, “If you follow him to Yangzhou and suffer in the future, whom will you complain to? The one who will be wronged is you.”
Youhua Fairy smiled and played along.
She was determined to redeem herself, having saved a considerable amount of money over the years. As she was about to accumulate enough money for redemption, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Tong Qiushi, the younger brother of the wife of the governor of Yingtian Mansion.
－－－－－－Side Note－－－－－－
In modern terms, Sister Hua’s actions would probably be considered as a private interaction between a celebrity and fans.
* note they switch here and there from youhua fairy to huayou fairy so to make reading easier, i kept it consistent
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 5 chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
