Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 62

"Tantai is the most prestigious music and dance venue in our Zhao Kingdom! The houses there are extremely popular with literati, scholars, and wealthy merchants from all walks of life, and our 'Crescent Moon' has a considerable reserve!"

"In that case, lead the way."

...

In the past, Tantai was most lively after dark.

When all the colorful lanterns covered in gold leaf were lit, their brilliance was even more dazzling than the Zhao King's Palace, making it arguably the biggest money pit in the entire city.

Brightly lit, bustling with traffic, a vast expanse of red carpet, a heavenly palace on earth!

That was the prosperity of yesteryear.

Today, only a few lights are on in the massive structure of the altar, making it appear even dimmer in comparison.

The Qin army is located outside the Zhang River. Once the Qin army breaks through Sima Shang's defenses, they can besiege Handan in an instant.

The powerful and wealthy were deeply worried; they enjoyed pleasure, but they valued their lives even more.

The consequences of a city engulfed in war are terrifying to even imagine...

They had no heart for music or dance anymore; they did everything they could to gather intelligence from the front lines. They also packed their valuables, ready to flee through the north gate at any moment.

With the number of guests drastically reduced, the dancers on the terrace were equally restless. At their tender age, after the fall of Handan, their fates were even more tragic...

With such distraction, it's easy to make mistakes when playing the piano or other musical instruments. Even the dance moves, once perfect, are now riddled with errors.

Even so, not a single one of the sparse spectators in the audience raised any objections.

At this time, the guests who still come to Tantai are either frustrated wandering knights or drunkards who have given up hope of the situation.

Having no hope of escaping Handan, they spent all their wealth to try and get a glimpse of the extravagant lifestyle that was originally reserved for royalty and nobility.

How can someone who understands neither music nor dance point out any mistakes...?

Among the audience were a few knowledgeable noblemen who were also illegitimate sons. Even if they noticed the mistake, they had no intention of pointing it out at this moment.

...

In an ordinary private room behind the stage, thirteen-year-old Xue Nu sat upright in front of her dressing table, gazing at her delicate face, snow-white skin, and naturally unusual white hair in the bronze mirror. What a beauty in the making!

She stared silently for a few seconds, then forced a smile onto her lips, applied red lipstick, and barefoot, picked up her blue glass clogs, put them on, revealing five fair, smooth, and delicate toes like bamboo shoots, ready to prepare for the upcoming performance.

What didn't match her blue glass clogs was her simple, unadorned attire.

Originally, the Snow Woman, who was just beginning to experience love, also had a large jewelry box. However, last year, in order to redeem herself and buy a wedding dress, she sold everything except herself.

When all those unrealistic fantasies turned into a chilling humiliation, the destitute Yuki-onna could only remain on the altar under the strange gazes of her companions.

She can't do anything except music and dancing.

Only music and dancing are things she should take seriously.

"The next piece will be a solo dance by Yukihime, Hanyue."

Hearing the weak announcement from the stagehand, the Snow Maiden stepped out of the Li Pavilion. Before stepping onto the stage, she was perfectly calm. As the music began, she began to dance:

Her lithe figure twirled, her long skirt billowing; her slender fingers, like delicate scallions, brushed away the lingering dust of incense; her clear, watery eyes captivated the unfocused gaze...

Even a rough, unrefined man who can't cook at all can tell if a dish is delicious, and a layman who knows nothing about music and dance can naturally appreciate whose dance is beautiful.

The difference is even more pronounced when compared to the previous performance, which was completely careless.

Thanks to the influence of Prince Jia, Xue Ji's fame spread throughout Handan. With her graceful and elegant dance, she captivated another wave of ordinary viewers.

The wandering knights and drunkards rose from their seats, marveling at the beautiful figure on the stage: This was the woman who had caught the eye of royalty!

The steward also stood up with the crowd. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he had chosen a residence in Handan for the Snow Maiden.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he bought a house cheaply and immediately went to the altar. After waiting for a while, his target finally appeared.

Lu Wei had planned that the ten-year-old girl would be dejected for a while after suffering such humiliation. He figured that since he was passing through Zhao, he could take advantage of her vulnerability, offer a few words of comfort, and easily leave a good impression on the young girl.

In this way, she later established the Feixue Pavilion in the Yan Kingdom, and when Lord Yanchun pressed her hard, she made a reappearance. At that time, it would be much more convenient for both those who wanted to obtain the Snow Maiden and those who wanted to obtain her wealth.

But now, looking at the stage, Xue Nu doesn't need any comforting; she can regain her confidence on her own and continue to showcase the brilliance of Zhao Wu.

This time, it seems that the steward's plan has failed before it even began.

Approaching her gently won't work, and he can't possibly win her over with genuine affection like Gao Jianli in the original story. Therefore, forcibly taking her might be the simplest solution...

The Snow Woman danced with increasing calmness; though she smiled gently on her face, her heart grew colder and colder.

From that day on, all men—the audience, the servants in the hall, the musicians, and so on—appeared the same in the Snow Woman's eyes: roughly humanoid, capable of spitting out gold coins, and whose ultimate goal in staring at her was to get close and strip her clothes off...

If there are any exceptions, they might be blind people or children.

After the dance, the Snow Woman crossed her long ribbons, the coldness in her eyes, which no one could detect, disappeared, and she slowly retreated.

The guests exclaimed that they wanted another song, but the stagehand looked at the lowly audience with disdain: "If it weren't for the war, the real nobles wouldn't be allowed to come here. Why would we let you in and insult this grand hall!"

"Snow Princess has finished her dance. Next, Jade Princess will play the piece: Lady."

The servant continued to shout as he struck the chime bells to a high note.

Before the next performance, Lu Wei left the stage and returned to his newly purchased house.

The three-story building has an elegant interior.

According to the young man in the gray headscarf, the house was priced at only one-third of the normal price. Although it was cheap, the risk was quite high.

Once the Qin army enters the city, it will be hard to say whether the small building can be saved, given its proximity to the Tantai Terrace and its unlikeness as a civilian residence.

However, Lu Wei knew that Zhao would not fall before Li Mu was punished. This year was not the time for Qin to destroy Zhao. He could buy the house cheaply now and resell it when the war was in Zhao's favor, making a small profit.

He circulated his internal energy, pushing the Five Virtues Rejuvenation Technique, which had shown initial success, a little further. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn.

Despite not having slept all night, the steward did not feel tired. He opened the small window on the third floor, looked at the altar in his line of sight, and his heart began to stir again.

Within the city of Handan, due to limited knowledge, he only cared about Xue Nu. However, if he broadened his perspective to include the entire Zhao state, there was also Li Mu.

Li Mu is currently leading his troops outside, so it's impossible to see him. The Snow Maiden resides deep within the Tantai Terrace; my status isn't high enough to allow me to see her only on stage.

Compared to the trip to Daliang, the trip to Handan was fruitless.

Lu Wei has rarely encountered situations where there are absolutely no conditions to achieve his goal. Therefore, he can only try his best to create the necessary conditions!

Chapter 84 Young Master Yi

The Lewufang Tantai is named after the Tantai built by Zhao Chenghou to demonstrate his determination to "keep his word and deliver on his promises." Later, King Wuling of Zhao issued the "Hu-style clothing and cavalry archery" decree on the Tantai, which further enhanced the Tantai's fame.

This is similar in nature to the "Golden Terrace" restaurant in Jicheng, Yan State, both of which are imitating the names of their predecessors.

Being able to associate with the royal family is a skill in itself, so the owner behind the Tantai must have been extraordinary. Its first owner was a member of the Zhao royal family: Zhao Sheng, son of King Wuling of Zhao, brother of King Huiwen of Zhao, and Lord Pingyuan!

After Zhao Sheng's death, the Tantai Music and Dance Troupe was inherited by his youngest son, Zhao Yi.

This youngest son had no other hobbies but adopted his father's habit of supporting scholars, and took it as his ultimate goal in life, wanting to become a renowned gentleman like his father and Lord Xinling.

Maintaining scholars requires money.

Zhao Yi did not inherit the title of Lord Pingyuan. What he received was only the Tantai Terrace and some extra houses that his father and his retainers had used for their leisure time, enough to provide him with a life of wealth and honor.

If he only kept a few personal guards and a few useful talents, it wouldn't be a big problem. But the problem is that Zhao Yi has grand ambitions. When he first recruited retainers, he opened the door wide and took in about a hundred idle people at once, and tried his best to give them the same treatment that his father had given to his retainers, maximizing their rank.

At the same time, Zhao Yi was also generous and charitable in his daily life. Whenever he passed by in a sedan chair, there would always be maids serving him and throwing money to gain fame.

Thus, this "Little Lord Pingyuan" had a fairly good reputation in Handan, and the wandering knights all praised him as virtuous.

However, on paper, Zhao Yi has already sold several of his own buildings, and the reason he is still living a glamorous life is entirely due to the income from his tea houses.

Due to the lack of new sources of income, the number of his retainers had not increased, and some even left due to reduced pay, which Zhao Yi found extremely regrettable.

Since the Qin army stormed into Zhao territory this year, Tantai's income has plummeted, making life even harder for Zhao Yi, and more of his retainers have left.

Those who haven't run away either still have loyalty in their hearts, or they simply don't have the ability to escape.

This made Zhao Yi, who wanted to cultivate scholars to become a virtuous man, even more distressed, and he began to drink heavily, which was unusual for him.

He was ashamed that he was not capable of achieving anything in military and national affairs like his father, and that he couldn't even learn to manage something as trivial as raising scholars.

Under these circumstances, Lu Wei sent a letter requesting an audience with Zhao Yi.

"Young master, a young swordsman is requesting an audience outside the gate," an old retainer reported to Zhao Yi, placing the visiting card presented by Lu Wei beside him.

Zhao Yi, drunk, squinted at the silk letter, then quickly closed his eyes again, mumbling, "I have no energy left to take in any more retainers. Give him one hundred dollars and let him leave."

"Yes," the elderly retainer said with pity, looking at the young master slumped over the table. He sighed inwardly, counted out the full amount of coins in the storeroom, went outside, and handed them to Lu Wei, who was admiring the curve of the eaves.

"I know your talent, but now the country is in peril, and the city of Handan is on the verge of collapse. Take this money and find a way to escape."

"Has the young master read my visiting card?" Lu Wei did not take the knife-shaped coin; it was too heavy and not gold, so he didn't even want it.

The elderly retainer met Lu Wei's gaze with his cloudy eyes and said slowly, "Young master is busy."

“In the past, when Lord Xinling received a visitor, he would personally greet him and bring him into his residence to offer him a banquet.” Lu Wei replied solemnly, “Since you take Lord Xinling as your role model, why do you not even bother to read a visiting card and send people away with these mundane gifts?”

Upon hearing this, the old retainer's mind stirred. He knew that the young man before him was different from those snobbish people. He tossed his coin pouch aside, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"I've learned a lot. Please come inside and have a seat, young hero. I'll invite you over right away."

He had a guard lead Lu Wei to rest in an exquisite little room, while the old retainer himself found Zhao Yi and relayed the steward's words to the already impatient Zhao Yi.

Upon hearing the name Lord Xinling, Zhao Yi became much more alert. After listening to the story, he sat up straight, took the silk invitation card, read it carefully, and immediately ordered his maid to help him bathe and change his clothes. He also asked his old retainer to arrange a private banquet.

Half an hour later, Lu Wei met with this young master Yi alone in the magnificent main hall.

"Young hero, you are the chief steward of the Farmers' Clan, yet you have come to Handan at this time. What is your purpose?"

The two faced each other, and on the beautifully carved bronze table were several exquisite dishes, all of which looked and smelled delicious.

Zhao Yi was dressed in formal attire, but the smell of alcohol on his body had not completely dissipated, so he sprayed some floral dew on himself to cover it up.

He smiled faintly as he met Lu Wei's gaze, showing no trace of his earlier drunken outburst.

"I recently paid my respects at the Xinling Shrine in Daliang. The reason I'm passing through Handan is entirely for your sake, young master!"

In his silk invitation, Lu Wei explained his identity and, before entering the banquet, hung a six-star pearl grass around his neck to show his sincerity.

"Coming for me?" Zhao Yi lowered his eyes, pondering to himself, but said aloud, "Given your status as steward, you certainly don't need to become my disciple. Among my guests, there used to be some disciples from farming families, but they've all run away now..."

"I wonder, why has the steward come for me?"

"Is your patronage of scholars for your own benefit or for the public good?"

Lu Wei then picked up the white jade wine cup, swirling it to admire the relief carving on it. Instead of answering Zhao Yi's question, he asked a question in return.