Chapter 16: The Hall of Strings? Or the Hall of Feelings?

And so, another night passed in a haze of confusion. Each evening that followed seemed almost perfectly ordinary.

Every day spent working in the prince’s residence brought in more and more money. Yi Yi would return home carrying armfuls of silver. Yet, the thought of splitting the profits with Xuan Yuan Juesi left her feeling uneasy. She’d wanted to torment him, but when she saw how handsome he was, she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Still, she knew that these little trinkets, even if she persisted in selling them, would never make her truly wealthy. The earnings were substantial, but once divided, her share was small. After so many days, it amounted to only a few thousand taels.

So much, and yet Si Nuo Sang found it insufficient. Determined to explore new opportunities, she began dressing as a man and venturing out to see what else she could do.

Soap was a business she’d dabble in occasionally—small quantities made it seem precious. Others treated it as a treasure, but to her, it was nothing special.

“Master, what are you hoping to see?” Yi Yi followed behind her, both of them dressed in men’s clothing.

“Just looking around. I don’t really have a purpose. Are you tired?”

“Of course not, I’m only worried you might be.” Outside, everyone addressed her as “Master.” The prince no longer kept a close watch, though she knew there were still people following. It was a relief.

Summer had arrived, growing hotter by the day. She couldn’t very well wear short skirts, so she waved a paper fan constantly.

Sweat dripped endlessly, but at least she hadn’t bothered with makeup—though without it, she felt she wasn’t looking her best. Still, she wasn’t unattractive.

“Look, isn’t that the prince?” Yi Yi pointed to the second floor ahead, where the prince sat chatting with someone.

“Yes, it’s him. What’s he doing here?” He was drinking tea at a tavern.

“What is this place?” She noticed only men entered, rarely any women. She sensed it wasn’t a place of good reputation.

“This is the Music House.”

“Music House? What on earth? I’ve never heard of it. No wonder I always failed history—never even knew about this.”

“Master, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing. What’s the Music House for?”

“It’s run by Miss Qin. She plays the zither beautifully, attracting countless scholars and gentlemen to listen. Even princes and young noblemen come here. Look, aren’t we just like them?”

Perhaps from spending so much time with Si Nuo Sang, Yi Yi’s character had changed. She’d grown much more cheerful, no longer so cautious in her speech. The princess treated her as a friend, and Yi Yi became more devoted. The princess disliked her former timid ways, so Yi Yi shed them all.

Now she was almost shrewd.

Si Nuo Sang was pleased. Young girls should be lively, full of spirit—she liked that.

“Oh, so it’s a place for performers. But do they sell themselves?”

“That I don’t know, but from what people say, they don’t.”

“Is Miss Qin the only lady here?”

“No, there are a dozen or so women, all quite beautiful, supporting Miss Qin. She has a noble status, the others less so, but they still earn plenty.”

“How much?”

“It’s said Miss Qin played for a wealthy merchant once, and he paid fifty thousand taels!”

“What? Fifty thousand taels? Unbelievable! We work so hard for so little.”

“Actually, Master, we earn a lot too. It’s just the prince takes so much. Otherwise, we’d have tens of thousands by now.”

Yi Yi looked at the princess; the prince must have taken over five thousand taels. Each time the profits were divided, the princess was never happy. How could she be? The prince only contributed a few flowers that fell naturally.

They didn’t pick the best, because the princess loved them and adored plants. Sometimes she’d drag Yi Yi to plant together. Now her room was filled with adorable plants.

“Yes, that bastard. He takes what’s ours to impress the ladies,” Si Nuo Sang said bitterly, hating the man.

He was wealthy enough, yet insisted on taking from others. He was shameless.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

“But the prince might spot us.”

“So what if he does? Are you afraid?”

Yi Yi shook her head. “I’m not afraid, but if he finds out, you’ll be in trouble.”

She was being honest; she’d grown used to a few beatings. But if the prince wanted to punish the princess, it wouldn’t be as simple as a beating.

“What do you mean?”

“He might have his way with you.”

“Yi Yi, where is your mind wandering?”

“I’m not thinking anything! Wasn’t it you who said, ‘you press him at night, he presses you at night’? I even saw it once!”

Yi Yi blushed, finding them rather adorable.

“Yi Yi, you know perfectly well there’s nothing between us, nothing at all.” She looked at Yi Yi—her imagination was running wild, almost like a modern girl. Whether that was good or bad, she couldn’t say.

“Alright, shall we go up?”

“Do you think you can change my mind?”

“No.”

“Then enough talk. Of course we’re going up, but be careful. Don’t let him see us. I really want to know what he’s doing here—drinking, or admiring the ladies?”

Si Nuo Sang looked at Xuan Yuan Juesi, who was laughing happily. She wanted nothing more than to slap him.

What a shameless wretch, coming to a place like this.

Music House—it might as well be Love House, she thought silently.

They entered. The moment they stepped inside, they were charged ten taels.

Damn, what a rip-off. They entered a private room, and a pretty young lady arrived with a zither.

“Gentlemen, is there a particular piece you’d like to hear?”

“No, just play your best.” She closed her eyes and prepared to enjoy the music. The moment the girl began, the feeling swept over her—it was truly moving.

It was a pleasant experience.

Yi Yi, following Si Nuo Sang’s lead, also closed her eyes, though she could not quite feel the same.

Though Yi Yi had become more cheerful, her appreciation for music was still lacking.

When the song ended, Song Qiubai told her to leave, then ordered some food. When it arrived, the two hid by the door, peering through the crack at the VIP table. There, a woman dressed entirely in white played the zither. Though the music wasn’t loud, it was utterly enchanting—surely Miss Qin herself.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Miss Qin. She’s said to love white; today, it’s true, even her headband is silk-white.”

Yi Yi strained to look. At that table sat four people. Besides Miss Qin...