Blackening starts from the golden years

Walking into the teahouse and seeing the broken porcelain pieces all over the floor, Zhou She immediately showed off:

"Look at the tea sets in this room. Many of them have been broken by the bad guys. What a pity. Madam Zhao, I know a famous porcelain merchant in Qiantang. If you need anything..."

"No need. We are just a small business, so there is no need to bother Mr. Zhou. Please sit here."

After inviting Zhou She and Song Yinzhang to sit down, Zhao Paner brought tea and snacks to the table.

"Zhou Lang, please sit down."

She invited Zhou She to sit down first, and then Song Yinzhang followed suit. She looked up at Zhao Pan'er who was serving tea and said softly:

"Sister Pan'er, we came to see you today, but we actually have something else to tell you."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

Zhao Paner sat down and smiled.

Song Yinzhang started the conversation, and Zhou She continued her words directly:

"Yin Zhang said that you are like her own sister. Zhou fell in love with Yin Zhang at first sight and has a deep affection for her, so I came to propose marriage. Zhou's family is in Huaiyang and has been merchants for generations. Our family runs a fur business and has dozens of shops, nearly a hundred servants, and several houses. If Madam Zhao agrees, I will definitely treat Yin Zhang like a treasure for the rest of my life."

After saying that, Zhou She looked at Song Yinzhang beside him with deep affection. Song Yinzhang lowered her head shyly, her pretty face flushed and full of sweetness. It was obvious that this little girl was in love.

"No, you can't marry him."

Zhao Pan'er sneered. She did not respond to Zhou She, but looked directly at Song Yinzhang and advised:

"Yin Zhang, you are still young and you are devoted to the pipa. I have told you about some social etiquette before, but you may never have taken it to heart. Yin Ping said that you and Mr. Zhou have only known each other for less than fifteen days. You don't think about it. How can a businessman who has traveled all over the country and seen all kinds of beauties fall in love with you at first sight?"

Zhao Pan'er didn't say anything too harsh. Song Yinzhang was still a lowly woman and a courtesan. Not to mention whether Zhou She really wanted to marry her. Even if he was sincere, Song Yinzhang was a courtesan in the Hangzhou Music Bureau. Could she marry him whenever she wanted?
Zhao Pan'er didn't want to be too blunt, for she was afraid of hurting Song Yinzhang's feelings. As an official prostitute in the music troupe, even though she was known as the best pipa player in Jiangnan, she had no freedom. When she reached a certain age, if a nobleman asked her to accompany him, she would be no different from those prostitutes in the brothels. They would all use their beauty to serve men, have their jade arms rest on them, and have their red lips tasted by tens of thousands of men.

This is the fate of a courtesan. A lowly person is a lowly person, just like Song Yinzhang’s own sister. She was insulted to death by those people from the Ning Haijun Army, but she is dead, so what can happen?

Therefore, Zhao Pan'er hoped that Ouyang Xu could pass the imperial examination, become an official, and then help Song Yinzhang escape from prison and return to being a good official.

Song Yinzhang was about to get married, and she could not wait much longer. When she thought of her own sister's miserable and humiliating death, Song Yinzhang was unwilling to accompany those dignitaries even if she died. So when Zhou She coaxed her by saying that his uncle was the governor of Zhejiang and could help her escape from nationality and return to being a good woman, she was moved and agreed to marry Zhou She to avoid the tragic fate in the future.

All I can say is that Song Yinzhang was too naive. As the governor of Zhejiang, if Zhou She had such a background, would he still marry a courtesan?
In fact, Zhou She was a prodigal son who spent his time eating, drinking, whoring and gambling. His family lived in Huaiyang Town, and he had some assets, probably tens of thousands of strings of cash, which was even less than what Zhao Pan'er, who had run a teahouse for many years. His routine was to deceive women, both for their money and their sex, and he deceived ignorant girls under the guise of love at first sight. This time he set his sights on Song Yinzhang, whom he thought was a famous courtesan in Qiantang and was known as the best pipa player in Jiangnan, so she must be very rich. Moreover, Song Yinzhang was young and beautiful, comparable to an orangutan, and still a virgin, which made Zhou She, a pervert, even more interested.

He had cheated many prostitutes in the brothels in his hometown, saying that he fell in love at first sight and wanted to marry them. His reputation had long been ruined, and the thugs in the brothels beat him up every time they saw him. Finally, he had no choice but to come to Qiantang half a month ago and start cheating. As soon as he arrived, he set his sights on the most famous Qiantang prostitute, Song Yinzhang.

Let's get back to the point. Looking at Zhao Pan'er who disagreed, Zhou She hurriedly said:
"As the saying goes, love is born from a thread, and Yin Zhang and I fell in love because of the song."

"Yes."

Hearing Zhou She say this, Song Yinzhang raised his eyes to look at him, then looked at Zhao Pan'er and smiled:
"That day I was feeling depressed, so I played a piece of Ming Fei's song by the lake. He heard it from far away on the lake, and he played his flute to accompany me. That's how we got to know each other. Sister, Zhou Lang is really my soulmate."

After listening to Song Yinzhang's words, Zhao Pan'er smiled slightly. She looked at Zhou She opposite and asked directly:

"What's the next sentence of Once I Go to Zitai Lianshuomo?"

Hearing this, Song Yinzhang looked at Zhou She with expectation. Under her gaze, Zhou She was speechless. Seeing his embarrassing look, Zhao Paner couldn't help but burst out laughing and said:

"He can't even recite Du Zimei's Ming Fei Qu, how can he be a soulmate of yours? These common tricks in the romantic world can only fool an ignorant little girl like you."

"Sister, Zhou Lang is really not that kind of person."

Song Yinzhang wanted to defend Zhou She, but Zhao Paner said directly:

"Look at the way he holds the tea, with his middle finger and thumb, it's the way a gambler picks up dice. He smells like the perfume of changing clothes, which only the most expensive brothels can afford. You say he's good at playing the flute, but which big business owner has the leisure to do that? In my opinion, he's nothing more than a drunkard who frequents pleasure-seeking places."

"Madam Zhao, please listen to my explanation."

Zhou She wanted to explain, but Zhao Paner interrupted him and said:

"You don't need to explain, and don't make up stories anymore. In short, I don't agree with this marriage!"

"Sister~~"

Song Yinzhang called out weakly, and she looked at Zhou She with some worry, afraid that he would be unhappy.

Seeing that Zhao Pan'er was too smart, Zhou She decided to retreat in order to advance. He stood up, bowed to Zhao Pan'er, and said with an unhappy face:

"In that case, Zhou will take his leave!"

"Go ahead, don't send me away!"

Zhao Pan'er stood up and returned the greeting, her voice cold.

"Zhou Lang, don't leave."

Song Yinzhang got up and chased after him. She placed all her hopes on Zhou She, but her concern made her confused. Moreover, she was ignorant of the ways of the world and did not understand how treacherous human nature could be, so she was easily controlled by Zhou She.

When they reached the door of the teahouse, Song Yinzhang said weakly:

"Zhou Lang, don't leave."

Turning around and looking at Song Yinzhang, Zhou She deliberately said with a gloomy face:

"Yin Zhang, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I treated her politely because I thought she was your sister, but how did she treat me just now? I, Zhou She, also have to maintain my dignity when I walk around."

"She is just too concerned. In this world, besides you, she is the only one who cares about me."

Song Yinzhang said weakly.

Looking at her, Zhou She frowned slightly and said:
"I know your sister Zhao loves you, but if you continue like this, Yin Zhang, I really can't wait for you any longer."

Hearing Zhou She say this, Song Yinzhang immediately said anxiously:

"I'll go talk to her right away."

"Ok, I will wait for you."

Zhou She felt proud as he watched Song Yinzhang run back to find Zhao Paner.

……

In the teahouse, sisters Song Yinzhang and Zhao Paner started arguing.

"If you still think of me as your sister, then you should stop hanging out with him."

"Sister, I am not as lucky as you. I was able to escape from slavery and meet a brother-in-law, Ouyang, who is in love with you. Since I can't marry a scholar, it is the best choice for me to find a businessman with a rich family to spend the rest of my life with. You have been free for a long time. You don't know how hard it is for people like us who are still in slavery.

All those who are of low status are hereditary and cannot marry a good man or redeem themselves. Sister, I don’t want to be summoned to attend government banquets and serve wine and smiles. I don’t want to be someone who uses her beauty to serve others and I don’t want to be deprived of freedom for the rest of my life. "

"Didn't I tell you? When Ouyang passes the exam and gets an official position, I'll come back and ask the prefect for mercy on your behalf, so that you can be freed from the ranks and return to the country."

"But what if my brother-in-law doesn't win this time? What if Xu Zhizhou doesn't give me this face? After all, I'm not your biological sister, and I'm known as the best pipa player in Hangzhou. Will Xu Zhizhou let me go easily?"

Looking at Zhao Pan'er, Song Yinzhang said anxiously:

"Sister, I really don't want to wait any longer. If I have to respond to a call one day, my life will be ruined. Now Zhou She is willing to marry me, and he is rich, so he will not treat me badly."

"Zhou She has money? Do you still need money to spend?"

Looking at Song Yinzhang, Zhao Paner said anxiously:

"You know that women who are registered as prostitutes cannot redeem themselves with money before the age of 35. If you just get married, you can't be registered as a civilian. In fact, you are not even a concubine. He can even sell you. Do you understand that?"

"Of course I want to be the head wife."

Song Yinzhang said hurriedly:
"Zhou She said that if I marry him, he will ask him to become the uncle of the governor of Zhejiang. If the governor comes forward, I will be able to be released from prison immediately."

"Zhejiang Governor? You believe everything he says? Don't you think about it carefully? If his conditions are really so good, why did he fall in love with you at first sight and marry you? Or as the legal wife, Yin Zhang, I know it's not pleasant to be in the music industry, but if you leave the music camp without permission and the government finds out, it will be a serious crime, don't you know?"

"I can't care so much, forget it, I won't talk to you."

As she spoke, Song Yinzhang stood up and was about to leave. Zhao Paner looked at her angrily and said:
"You can leave if you want to, and marry if you want to, but you can't take a penny of the shops and money I run for you."

"That's my stuff, why are you holding on to it?"

Song Yinzhang said angrily.

"Before your sister left, she repeatedly told me to take good care of you. You said he could treat you well. Okay, let him prove it to me and marry you in Qiantang with three matchmakers and six certificates. If he does, I will return your money to you without a penny missing, and give you the dowry I have prepared for you a long time ago.

Otherwise, I would rather throw the money into the West Lake."

Zhao Paner said angrily.

"Hmph~~"

Song Yinzhang snorted, stood up, turned and left. At this moment, Yuan Xudong reached out and lifted the door curtain, lowered his head slightly, and walked out of the inner room. He raised his head and looked at Song Yinzhang who was walking towards him.

Suddenly seeing a young man like Yuan Xudong who was handsome and had extraordinary temperament, Song Yinzhang couldn't help but be stunned. She looked at Yuan Xudong's handsome face and thought he was really good-looking. He was wearing brocade clothes outlined with gold and silver threads, with a piece of white jade hanging on his waist and cloud boots on his feet. He was a graceful young man with a temperament as gentle as jade.

Seeing Yuan Xudong coming over, Song Yinzhang blushed and bowed slightly to him. Yuan Xudong nodded at her and said with a smile:
"This lady must be Lady Zhao's sister. The poem says, 'There is a beauty in the north, peerless and independent, one look from her can overwhelm a city, another look can overwhelm a country, I'd rather not know that she can overwhelm a city and a country, a beauty like her is hard to find again, may I ask your name?"

After being praised by Yuan Xudong, Song Yinzhang blushed and replied shyly in a low voice:
"Song Yinzhang, sir, thank you for your compliment."

"Song Yinzhang? What a nice name."

Looking at the rather shy Song Yinzhang, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:

"I should just embroider the folk songs on my clothes, but not write a poem to surprise my old friends. What a pity, what a pity."

"May I ask, sir, what is the pity?"

Song Yinzhang raised his eyes and looked at Yuan Xudong puzzledly and asked.

"It's a pity that it's a bird in a cage. No matter how beautiful it is, it still lacks the agility of freedom. Madam Song, do you think I'm right?"

Yuan Xudong said with a smile. Hearing this, Song Yinzhang's face suddenly turned pale, and he said pitifully:
"Are you making fun of Yin Zhang for being a bird in a cage?"

"Yes and no."

Looking at Song Yinzhang, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:
"If you want to renounce your citizenship and become a good person, I can help you. How about that? Do you want me to help you?"

"What do you want to do?"

Zhao Pan'er came over, she protected Song Yinzhang behind her, looked at Yuan Xudong angrily and said:
"Don't you dare try to use the quotation!"

At this time, Yuan Xudong noticed Zhou She who had been waiting outside the door. He waved his hand, and A Da and A Er jumped out of the bamboo window of the inner room. Soon, they took Zhou She back into the teahouse. A Da kicked him in the knee, pressed his shoulders, and made him kneel in front of Yuan Xudong.

"Who are you?!"

Being pressed to his knees on the ground, Zhou She shouted loudly:
"Let me go now, do you still have the law in your eyes?"

"Zhou Lang." Song Yinzhang looked worriedly at Zhou She, who was forced to kneel on the ground. She and her personal maid Yinping hid behind Zhao Pan'er and looked at Yuan Xudong, feeling a little scared.

Zhao Pan'er was also very afraid of Yuan Xudong, but she wanted to protect Song Yinzhang, so she could only look at Yuan Xudong and said angrily:

"What do you want to do?!"

"Well, I'm helping you. This man is obviously a liar."

Yuan Xudong looked at Zhao Paner and smiled.

"I'm not a liar, I'm..."

Zhou She was yelling, and Ah Da raised his hand and slapped him hard in the face, knocking out two of his teeth.

"Ouch, my teeth..."

Zhou She cried and A Da raised his hand again. Yuan Xudong said:

"Ada, don't be so violent."

"Yes."

Ah Da responded. Looking at the frightened Zhao Pan'er and the other two, Yuan Xudong looked at Zhou She, who was spitting blood and foam, and asked politely:

"What's your name?"

"Zhou, Zhoushe."

Zhou She answered tremblingly that he was a despicable guy who bullied the weak and feared the strong. When he saw that Yuan Xudong and others were not easy to mess with, he immediately behaved like a grandson.

"Are you a liar?"

Yuan Xudong asked again.

After a slight hesitation, Zhou She glanced at Song Yinzhang who was hiding behind Zhao Pan'er, and then tentatively answered:
"No, no, I'm a businessman, my family runs a ..."

"Ada."

Yuan Xudong called out softly.

Pa~~
Another big slap hit Zhou She's face, and the latter couldn't help but cry out in pain. At this time, A Da grabbed his hair hard and lifted his head up, drew out the saber from his body and put it on his neck.

"Ah~~"

Song Yinzhang and Yinping both screamed in fright, and Zhao Paner's face turned pale, but she still managed to stand in front of Song Yinzhang and Yinping to protect them.

"Have mercy, my good man, have mercy on me, save me!"

Zhou She had never seen such a scene before. He felt the cold and sharp blade of the saber on his neck and was so scared that he wet his pants, making a puddle of urine. Zhao Pan'er, who was still watching with her eyes open, blushed. She tilted her head slightly and looked away.

Ah Da was not trying to scare Zhou She with a knife. His cold and ruthless gaze broke Zhou She's defense and made him feel like his heart was about to burst. At this time, Yuan Xudong reached out from his sleeve (actually from the system space) and took out the tiger-head card of the Imperial City Division and shook it in front of Zhou She's eyes, smiling slightly:

"Recognize this?"

"Huang, Huangchengsi, are you from Huangchengsi?!"

Zhou She became even more frightened, trembling and crying bitterly:

"Spare your life, spare your life..."

"Well, I'm glad you recognized it."

Yuan Xudong put away the tiger card, he looked at Zhou She and said calmly:

"Tell me about you and Madam Song. If you tell a lie, you will lose your life. Do you understand?"

"I heard it clearly, I heard it clearly."

At this point, Zhou She no longer cared about deceiving Song Yinzhang, and he confessed directly:

"My name is Zhou Ke. I live in Huaiyang Town. My family has fallen into poverty and I owe others a lot of money that I can't pay back. I heard that Song Yinzhang is the best pipa player in Jiangnan, proficient in music, wears gold and silver, and has many nobles who reward her with money. So I wanted to marry her and trick her into giving me her dowry. I lied to her that my uncle is the governor of Zhejiang and can help her escape from her statehood and return to her country. She didn't know anything, but she believed me. My lord, please spare my life. I won't dare to do it again next time."

At some point, Song Yinzhang opened his eyes and stared blankly at Zhou She. Yuan Xudong then asked:

"Very good. Do you like Madam Song? Will you really marry her?"

"Yes, she is so beautiful, which man would not like her? But I just like her body and money. She is a musician in the music house. I can't really marry her. Any lowly person cannot marry a good man."

Zhou She answered directly.

After taking a look at Song Yinzhang, who looked pale and about to cry, Yuan Xudong asked:

"Then did you take advantage of Madam Song?"

"No, no, I didn't even touch her hand."

Zhou She seemed to understand Yuan Xudong's thoughts a little bit, and he said flatteringly:
"Sir, I heard that although Song Yinzhang is a famous courtesan in Qiantang, she is still a virgin, hehe."

"What are you talking about? Do you think I'm a drunkard and a womanizer like you?!"

Yuan Xudong said with a serious face, without asking Zhou She any more questions. He looked at Song Yinzhang and Zhao Paner beside him and asked:
"What do you want to do with this liar?"

"Let him go, woooo~~"

Song Yinzhang lay in Zhao Pan'er's arms and cried with shame. Because of such a liar, she actually quarreled with her sister Pan'er.

"Let him go."

Zhao Pan'er said as she comforted the sad and ashamed Song Yinzhang.

"Did you hear me? Get out of here!"

Yuan Xudong signaled Ah Da to let Zhou She go. Once out of trouble, Zhou She immediately fled the teahouse and left in a carriage.

Seeing the little red dot gradually moving away on the map, Yuan Xudong sighed softly. He really didn't want to kill anyone.

At the same time, the dot representing Zhao Paner changed from red to white.

The reward for clearing Zhou She is the same as Lao Jia's, both are 200 points, plus one chance to draw a lottery.

Yuan Xudong gave orders to the gang killers outside, and there was one more target to be eliminated, Zhou She.

At this time, Song Yinzhang was crying like a pear blossom in the rain, heartbroken, and I felt sorry for her. Zhao Pan'er and Yinping comforted her well.

Song Yinzhang secretly lamented her ill-fated fate. She was not as lucky as Zhao Pan'er, who had been a daughter of an official family since she was young. She had worked in the Jiaofangsi for a few years and had the help of a nobleman, so she was able to escape from the status of a prostitute early on. However, her family had been a prostitute for generations, and her ancestors were all musicians in the Jiaofangsi, and it had been passed down from generation to generation. She had to fight for her life in the second half of her life no matter what. However, she did not expect that Zhou She, the only person willing to help her escape from the status of a prostitute, was actually a liar who coveted her money and beauty. Thinking of this, Song Yinzhang cried even more sadly. She choked with tears in her eyes and said:
"Sister, my life is so hard."

Seeing Song Yinzhang crying so sadly, her personal maid Yinping couldn't help crying. She felt that her life was even more miserable than Song Yinzhang's. She was sold to the music school as a slave by her parents. Song Yinzhang was her mistress, and she was Song Yinzhang's personal maid. Her future fate was tied to Song Yinzhang's.

Seeing Song Yinzhang and Yinping crying, Zhao Paner felt very sad. She reached out and hugged them and comforted them softly:
"Okay, stop crying. When Ouyang comes back, he will definitely help you get rid of your citizenship."

"Hmm~"

Song Yinzhang hummed weakly. At this point, she could only hope that Ouyang Xu would pass the imperial examination and be appointed an official, so as to help her escape from slavery and return to being a good woman.

"Cough cough~~"

Yuan Xudong cleared his throat twice, and after Song Yinzhang, Yinping Yatou, and Zhao Paner all looked at him, he spoke:

"Among all the candidates who passed the exam this time, there is only one with the surname Ouyang, Ouyang Xu. He is the third place winner, and the current emperor granted him a marriage at the request of Concubine Gao. He was recruited as the son-in-law by Observer Gao. In my opinion, he will no longer have any relationship with you."

"what?"

Song Yinzhang was confused. Her brother-in-law Ouyang was also a bad man?

"Sister, is this true? Has Ouyang Xu really changed his mind?"

"I do not know either."

Zhao Pan'er shook her head gently and said, she was also shaken. Tokyo had announced the results a long time ago, but why hadn't Ouyang Xu sent any news back yet?

"then what do I do?"

Song Yinzhang murmured, in a few days, she would be summoned, what should she do then?
Do I really have to drink and smile, and do those things that use my beauty to please men?

"I can help you get rid of your citizenship."

Looking at Song Yinzhang, Yuan Xudong smiled faintly:

"I haven't married yet. If you are willing, how about you become my concubine first?"

"what?"

Song Yinzhang's pretty face turned red. She looked up at Yuan Xudong and said shyly:
"I, I don't want to be a concubine."

"Ok?"

Yuan Xudong smiled slightly and said:
"It's okay if you don't want to be a concubine. As long as you can please me, it's okay for me to be your legal wife."

"no!"

Zhao Pan'er immediately glared at Yuan Xudong and said angrily:
"Don't you dare try to use the quotation?"

"Madam Zhao, do you want Madam Song to accompany the officials at the banquet?"

"I……"

Zhao Pan'er was speechless for a moment. Yes, should Yin Zhang be allowed to accompany the official banquet to drink and smile? If she met a beast with bestiality, wouldn't Yin Zhang be following in the footsteps of her own sister?
Looking at the stunned Zhao Pan'er, Yuan Xudong smiled. He walked to Song Yinzhang, stretched out his hand to grab her wrist and gently pulled her into his arms, hugged her and said with a smile:

"Madam Song, be my concubine first. I will see if you can become my wife in the future. Are you willing?"

"I……"

Song Yinzhang's pretty face turned red, and she said shyly:

"Sir, you, your sword is pressing on me."

"Hmm? What sword?"

Yuan Xudong didn't quite understand at first, but suddenly, he looked at Song Yinzhang's blushing face and said with a joking smile:

"It is indeed my unparalleled sword. Sorry, did it hit you?"

"Ah."

Song Yinzhang hummed shyly, and the girl Yinping next to him was a little confused. Where is the sword?
...(End of chapter)