nucmednet Chapter 511 Sing a Song for My Soldiers
Chapter 511 Sing a Song for My Soldiers
Liu Ye brushed Li Xiangjun's hand away. She was petite and delicate, and was so startled that she spun around half a circle and was about to fall over.
Liang Xiaoming's gaze never left Li Xiangjun. Seeing her about to fall, he quickly reached out to support her. Li Xiangjun was caught in his arms. When she looked up, she saw this lecherous man who had been staring at her with a lecherous look. She was furious. After regaining her balance, she shook off his hand and walked to Liu Rushi's side.
Liu Ye asked with dissatisfaction, "Mingzi, which side are you on? Don't lose your principles and bottom line for a woman. Now her lover has attacked our soldiers, and you still want to help her? She's just Li Xiangjun, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai. If you want to find a mistress, I'll help you find Chen Yuanyuan. In terms of looks, I guarantee she'll be better than her."
Liang Xiaoming sighed. His feelings for his first love clashed with Qiong Haijun's stance. Although he knew which side he should take, he was still conflicted. He explained in a low voice, "This...she looks a lot like my first love from college, they're practically identical..."
"Her? She looks like your first love?" Liu Ye looked at Li Xiangjun in surprise. No wonder Liang Xiaoming, who was introverted, didn't even blink when he saw Li Xiangjun. It seems that the story from back then left a deep mark on Mingzi.
Li Xiangjun already had someone in her heart and considered Hou Fangyu as her perfect match. Hearing this, she scoffed, "This kind of excuse to get close is really novel. However, Xiangjun advises this young master not to waste his time on me. Xiangjun has already made up her mind about Hou Lang and will never be with another man in this life."
Liang Xiaoming wasn't angry, but after hearing her resolute words, he recalled the scene of his girlfriend getting into the luxury car years ago, and couldn't help but feel sad, his eyes reddening slightly.
Liu Ye originally wanted to persuade Liang Xiaoming to give up this childish sentiment and say goodbye to the unpleasant memories of the future, but he was enraged by Li Xiangjun's words. He couldn't bear to see his brother suffer in front of a prostitute.
He glanced around, his gaze finally settling on Dong Xiaowan, and asked, "Tell me, which brothel does Li Xiangjun belong to? How much money do you want to redeem her?"
Dong Xiaowan dared not disobey him and answered cautiously, "It's Meixianglou, and the madam is Li Zhenli. Logically speaking, two to three thousand taels of silver would be enough to redeem Xiangjun, but her madam is a sentimental person. If Xiangjun is unwilling, she will most likely not let her go..." After speaking, she glanced apologetically at Li Xiangjun, indicating that she was also helpless.
By this time, the conflict downstairs had been decided. The scholars of the Fushe Society, who had come in triumphantly, fled in panic, their group of several dozen men scattering in all directions. Hou Fangyu joined the fleeing crowd. Before leaving, he turned back and called out, "Xiangjun, take good care of yourself. I'll come to see you at Meixiang Tower once I've recovered from my injuries..."
Liu Ye said disdainfully, "If he hadn't been afraid of getting beaten up and stayed, I would have respected him as a man, but this kind of behavior is really despicable."
Li Xiangjun was shocked that her beloved Hou Lang had run away so easily. Her heart sank, but her face remained stubborn.
"It seems your vows of eternal love are nothing but empty promises." Liu Ye snorted at Li Xiangjun. "Since Mingzi has taken a liking to you, I'll play the villain and break you up with that coward Hou Fangyu. You'll stay with him tonight, and I'll send someone to Meixiang Tower to pay for your overnight stay and your redemption. The madam will have no choice but to agree."
Li Xiangjun's face immediately turned ashen, and she swayed precariously. Liu Rushi quickly supported her.
Dong Xiaowan explained, "Well... Sister Xiangjun hasn't even finished her hair yet, isn't it a bit too abrupt for her to stay overnight like this?"
Liu Ye had frequented brothels before and knew that "shulong" meant the first time a virgin in a brothel wore her hair in a braid; after receiving a customer, she would style it into a bun, a process called "shulong." He was somewhat surprised that Li Xiangjun and Hou Fangyu, despite their flirtatious exchanges and vows, hadn't yet lost their virginity. He looked at Liang Xiaoming, seeking his opinion: "What do you think?"
Liang Xiaoming was a little uneasy and hurriedly replied, "I don't know either. Why don't we let her go back first, and I'll think about it some more."
Liu Ye sighed: "What a dragging... Fine, whatever you want. If you want her, I'll help you redeem her. If you don't want her, that's fine too. Just don't regret it later."
Liu Rushi overheard their conversation and breathed a sigh of relief. She helped Li Xiangjun quietly try to go downstairs, but Liu Ye saw them and coldly stopped them: "Stop! Did I say you could leave now?"
Liu Rushi frowned and said, "Didn't you promise to let Xiangjun go back to Meixiang Tower?"
“I promised my brother I’d let her go back first, but I didn’t say you could leave now.” Liu Ye coldly pointed downstairs. “Those Fushe cowards always say I’m a rude brute who only knows how to burn the zither and cook the crane, right? Well then today I’ll do as you wish and spoil the mood to the end. Each of you go downstairs and sing a song or play an instrument for my men. If you make them happy, you can leave.”
Liu Ru was about to lose her temper. Singing for Liu Ye was one thing, since he was at least a count and there was also the Duke of Wei present. But to sing for a bunch of lowly soldiers was simply an insult. If word got out, where would He Dongjun's face be?
But she was at their mercy, like a fish on a chopping board, and didn't know how to refuse, so she could only remain silent.
Li Xiangjun nestled against Liu Rushi, glaring angrily at Liu Ye, but dared not step forward to make a move.
Seeing that the scholars had been driven away, Xu Hongji was filled with unease, wondering what kind of trouble this would cause. Seeing Liu Ye still forcing several famous courtesans to sing for the soldiers, he couldn't help but advise, "Brother, isn't this going a bit too far? Is it really necessary to go to such lengths to appease your men? After all, these are top-tier courtesans from the Qinhuai River..."
Liu Ye replied, "All people are born equal, without distinction of rank or status. In my eyes, every soldier in the Qionghai Army is not only my subordinate but also my brother. I will not treat them as slaves, much less as cattle or horses."
He stared at Liu Rushi and Li Xiangjun: "Singing girls know not the sorrow of a fallen nation, still singing 'The Flowers of the Rear Courtyard' across the river. You only see the prosperity of Jinling, not knowing that when the world is in chaos, the only ones who can protect you are these armies and soldiers. Regardless of whether you respect them or not, you must go down and sing. You are not allowed to leave until everyone applauds."
Liu Rushi couldn't help but ask, "What if I don't sing?"
“It’s simple. I won’t hit you or yell at you. Just take off your shoes and socks, walk back barefoot, and we’ll call it even,” Liu Ye said slowly.
Liu Rushi's vision went black; this move was truly vicious.
In ancient times, women often bound their feet. Due to a morbid aesthetic standard, a woman's feet, like breasts and private parts today, were not to be seen. Walking barefoot in the street was no different from running naked. Although famous courtesans like Liu Rushi and Dong Xiaowan did not follow the rules of noble ladies and often accompanied guests on outings, thus not binding their feet for convenience, feet, whether natural or bound, were still considered private parts that could not be shown to others, just as a woman's chest, whether flat or voluptuous, could not ultimately be exposed.