Chapter 120: A Plea in Tears

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

The two young servants turned around. One hurriedly bowed and said, “Master Bo.”

The other seemed terribly frightened, lowering his head so far he didn’t dare to raise it.

“Master Bo is asking you, why aren’t you answering?”

A maid noticed the darkening expression on the Marquis of Huaiyang’s face, sensing his anger, and quickly scolded the young servant.

The servant who had just bowed nudged his companion, who seemed to have just come to his senses and stammered, “I… I just said that Dongxue is very lucky to have a good life ahead with that young master.”

“Hm?”

“And… Dongxue is going to buy her freedom.”

“Get lost.”

The Marquis of Huaiyang snapped angrily, brushing past the two maids and walking away with his hands behind his back.

The two maids were left standing there, bewildered. They exchanged glances, then one called out in a soft voice, “Master Bo,” and hurried after him.

Seeing the Marquis’s anger, the young servants turned and fled.

One of them ran toward the cockfighting arena. Just then, Ning Zhiyuan was about to change clothes. The young servant beside him scolded, “Jinbao, why are you running? How many times have I told you to be more discreet outside?”

Jinbao stopped and called out, “Young master.”

Ning Zhiyuan tapped Jinbao on the head with his folding fan and laughed, “Are you being chased by ghosts? Haha, maybe it’s a ghost, Jinbao, you have quite the luck with women.”

Jinbao rubbed his head, feeling wronged. “Young master, no, the Marquis is angry.”

Jinbao pointed behind him, “It was him, he offended the Marquis.” But when he turned around, there was not a single figure in sight. How strange— they had run over together just moments ago, so where did they go?

The Marquis of Huaiyang stormed back to his bedroom in the annex, lying on the bed face-up. The cockfight was no longer of concern, nor the people outside. He even drove away the maids who came to attend him.

The thought of Dongxue being with a young lad filled him with rage.

It was not that the Marquis had any great affection for Dongxue; human feelings are often subtle and complicated.

The Marquis of Huaiyang, a man who frequented the company of courtesans, was the most popular figure among them—wealthy, powerful, generous, and tender toward women.

Once, he had been one of Dongxue’s benefactors. They had entangled themselves in a long, passionate affair. At the height of their intimacy, the Marquis half-jokingly offered to buy her freedom, but Dongxue flatly refused.

She said she did not want to be a concubine.

At that time, the Marquis had a newfound respect for Dongxue, finding in her a proud spirit unlike the common, frivolous courtesans. But he was mistaken.

The madam loved money; the courtesans cherished their beauty.

She simply looked down on him.

Bah, a lowly prostitute had the audacity to scorn a noble marquis? She was courting death.

I, the Marquis of Huaiyang, with my status, wealth, and dignity, am far superior to that young upstart. I want to see who dares to cross me.

The Marquis, who was used to having his every whim fulfilled, grew angrier by the minute. He decided to gather a group of guards and servants and make a grand assault on the Drunken Spring Pavilion.

It was still early, and the Drunken Spring Pavilion was preparing to open. The “Turtle”—the gatekeeper—had just cracked the door open when someone from outside shoved it wide, causing him to stumble and fall.

“Which bastard…”

The curse was cut off abruptly.

The Marquis, still full of rage, delivered a flying kick to the Turtle, who was trying to get up and bow, sending him rolling on the ground. The guards nearby, seeing their master’s fury, slapped the Turtle several times until his face swelled and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Dazed by this undeserved punishment, the Turtle dared not utter a word and knelt, kowtowing repeatedly.

Without a glance, the crowd surged inside.

“Oh? What wind blows the Marquis here today…”

Madam Xie, who came to greet them, was cut off mid-sentence as the guards spun her around several times. “Step aside.”

With their eyes fixed on the group charging up to the third floor, Madam Xie quickly signaled a courtesan on the second floor, who silently followed them. Soon she returned to inform Madam Xie that the Marquis had gone to Dongxue’s room.

Madam Xie was relieved. Once inside, it would be easier to handle the situation. Dongxue surely had ways to soothe the Marquis’s anger—maybe even win him back and restore him as the pavilion’s benefactor.

Cheerfully, Madam Xie called out repeatedly, “Girls, girls, open the doors and welcome the guest.”

Meanwhile, the Marquis kicked open Dongxue’s door. Inside, there was no sign of chaos or disorder, which strangely brought some comfort to his heart.

“Master Bo.”

Dongxue stared blankly at the intruding Marquis, then quickly recovered and bowed.

The Marquis ignored her, lifted the hem of his robe, and sat in the chair at the center of the room. Dongxue offered him tea, but he refused to drink.

The guards tactfully withdrew, pulling the still stunned young maid out with them and quietly shutting the door behind.

“Dongxue, you’re going to buy your freedom?”

The Marquis looked at her with a half-smile, yet a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Dongxue did not show the slightest joy. Instead, tears streamed down her face as she suddenly knelt with a thud and crawled to him, clutching his legs, sobbing pitifully, “Master Bo… please save me.”

The Marquis, who had come to confront her in anger, was dumbfounded. Seeing the beauty weep like a delicate flower soaked by rain, his heart softened. His tone became gentler. “Get up first; let’s talk calmly.”

But Dongxue did not rise. She held onto his legs, begging, “Master Bo, Dongxue has wronged you, but I was forced by others. Please forgive me. If you cannot, I am willing to kneel and die right here.”

“Alright, alright, speak. I won’t blame you.”

“When you said you would buy my freedom, I was so happy inside. But I didn’t dare accept, because I knew that leaving here would be a death sentence. Even you, Master Bo, could not protect my life.”

The Marquis raised an eyebrow, displeased to hear that even he could not save her. “What do you mean?”

“To be honest, the courtesans here at the Drunken Spring Pavilion can never leave—unless they die. This is because the pavilion harbors a great secret. Those who know and are involved cannot be allowed to leave.”

Dongxue gave a bitter smile, rose, and went to the bed. She pulled out a stack of papers from a hidden spot and handed them to the Marquis. “Master Bo, you’ll understand when you see them.”

The Marquis took the papers and read from beginning to end. The more he read, the more shocked and enraged he became. When he came upon one particular page, his hand trembled slightly.

On that page was written: “On such and such a date and time, the Marquis of Huaiyang, drunk, said, ‘Even the emperor is my son-in-law. Tell me, who dares to cross me?’…”

After reading these words, everything else blurred before his eyes. The Marquis’s heart quivered—what audacity! A mere son of a nobleman dared to claim the emperor as his son-in-law, calling the emperor his son-in-law! Was he underestimating his own head’s security or inviting the destruction of his entire family?

Cold sweat broke out across the Marquis’s body as he glared fiercely at Dongxue.

“Master Bo, don’t worry. I never reported that line.”

Dongxue spoke earnestly, “Master Bo has always treated me sincerely. How could I bring harm to you?”

The Marquis finally exhaled in relief. Thinking it over, the incident had happened months ago. Had she reported it, he would have been reprimanded long ago and wouldn’t be so carefree now.

Just as a flicker of gratitude arose, he suddenly grabbed Dongxue by the neck. “Tell me, who is your master?”

(To be continued.)