Chapter 29 The Flute Player

  Old Lady Zhou heard this and her whole body shook.

  She immediately abandoned her previous lucky idea and fell into their hands, she was doomed to die.

  She couldn't help but think that on this road, she had been so difficult with them everywhere, and now that they were in their hands, how could she get a good result? However, Zhou Niang still gritted her teeth and thought about the original plan, which was so flawless and well-arranged. There were more than a dozen people surrounding them, but it was just a weak woman and two half-grown children, all of whom were powerless. How could they possibly escape? It was almost impossible, but now they were standing here alive, which was a slap in the face to Xu Furen and her. This clearly hinted to her how much she and Xu Furen had failed! However, it wasn't a complete failure. At least that cheap woman Fan Yuyao was definitely dead! Because it was Zhou Niang herself who had personally pressed down on Fan Yuyao and given her the poisonous medicine, Crane's Top Red. Not even a god could save her!

  What kind of waves can these two children stir up? At most, it's just a small ripple that will pass by lightly. Madame has nothing to worry about, but what about her? How can she get Xu Mingjin, this little scoundrel, to let her off the hook? This is a bit difficult to handle, because Zhou Yiniang knows that Xu Mingjin has some cleverness to him, otherwise he wouldn't have given Madame medicine first and made her fall ill. Otherwise, how could Xu Mingjin possibly take care of her for three days and nights without undressing? This was what exhausted her and gave her an opportunity. Zhou Yiniang racked her brains thinking of a way to escape, but Xu Mingjin spoke up again: "Zhou Yiniang, does your Madame know about the hardships you're suffering now?"

  Old Lady Zhou was shocked again: Xu Mingjin knew that all of this was done by Madam Xu! What else didn't she know? She couldn't help but feel a little afraid of Xu Mingjin, yet still spoke firmly: "Stop stirring up trouble here! I won't fall for it!"

  Xu Mingjin glanced at Zhou Yuye's stiff face and said lightly, "It seems you don't drink the wine of respect, so you'll have to drink the penalty wine." She ordered her servants to take them away and lock them up. Those people struggled and shouted, but ultimately were dragged away. Before leaving, Zhou Yuye looked at Xu Mingjin with her dark, emotionless eyes. Xu Mingjin responded with a faint smile. She would let her know what it means to be worse off than dead! She turned back into the hall, found some writing paper and ink, and began to write seriously. Ze Gongzi and others didn't know what Xu Mingjin was doing, so they followed her in and gathered around, watching her write.

  "Good calligraphy!" exclaimed Zhe Gongzi. Xu Mingjin smiled slightly and continued writing, her handwriting now bearing some resemblance to that of Fan's wife. Although her strokes were still a bit weak, for a 12-year-old, she was doing quite well. After Zhe Gongzi, everyone else began praising Xu Mingjin's calligraphy, but she ignored them, thinking about the depiction of the Qing dynasty's ten great tortures in movies and books from her past life. Her hand moved quickly as she wrote, filling up a whole sheet of paper in no time.

  After the ink had dried slightly, Xu Mingjin handed it to Ze Gongzi and said: "Those people will not escape death, nor can they avoid punishment. I let them live, but it is a life worse than death. I want them to suffer all the cruel punishments written here!"

  After hearing Xu Mingjin's chilling words, and looking at the heinous tortures listed on the rice paper, everyone fell silent for a moment.

  It seems that Madame Fan's misfortune has dealt her a great blow, forcing her to go to another extreme. Zhe thought to himself: He must think of a way to lead her out of this extreme state.

  "Jin'er, it's good that you're clever, but how did you come up with this?" Fan Yicheng finally couldn't help but ask. Xu Mingjin was a well-behaved young lady from a good family, so how could she think of such a vicious way to deal with someone?

  "Sister must have hated them so much! If it were me, I would also think of so many ways to deal with them!" Seeing everyone looking at Xu Mingjin with suspicious eyes, Xu Mingxuan couldn't help but speak up for his sister. His sister is the best in the world!

  "Right, you go and revise those criminal laws that can put people to death. I want them all to live!" Xu Mingjin suddenly remembered the cruel punishments she had just written about, which were basically all capable of putting people to death.

  Zé Gōng Zǐ “……”

  Xu Mingjin returned to her courtyard with an excited heart, and the capture of Zhou Mama and others today made her mood better. In two days, she must force Zhou Mama to speak before leaving. Xu Mingjin looked up and found that the house had already lit lanterns, and it was dark without realizing it. Autumn Cloud had brought in dinner and said, "Miss, it's time for dinner." Xu Mingjin shook her head, she didn't want to eat at all now. Autumn Cloud saw this and could only take the meal away again. Xu Mingjin walked out of the house and came to the courtyard, finding that tonight was still a good weather, with bright moonlight and stars shining everywhere, making everything bright and clear. She suddenly felt like going out for a walk, so she headed outside, and Chun Xiang hurriedly followed her. Xu Mingjin turned back and said, "You don't need to follow me, I'll just go out for a walk and come back soon."

  Chun Xiang couldn't help but watch as Xu Mingjin drifted away with a carefree expression.

  Xu Mingjin regretted it as soon as she left the house. She forgot that this was ancient times, not modern times when the night was just as bright as day. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she realized there were no lights, although the moonlight was very bright and illuminated everything clearly. However, she was still a little scared, but thinking about turning back now, Chun Xiang would definitely mock her, just like how she always mocked Chun Xiang in the past. This was something she couldn't allow.

  Xu Mingjin gritted her teeth and took big strides forward, sighing to herself: What a good person Chun Xiang is, yet she's been led astray by her.

  Xu Mingjin cast aside the fear in her heart and slowly began to appreciate the scenery under the moonlight. She had to say, it was a peculiar feeling, one that she had never experienced before - purely appreciating the moonlight without neon lights. As she walked further and further away, she found herself some distance from her courtyard. It was then that she heard a gentle and melodious flute sound.

  She seemed to be enchanted by the flute sound, and slowly came to the pavilion where she had watched the scenery with Xu Mingxuan that day. It was only then that she realized she wanted to retreat. However, as soon as she saw a person sitting in the pavilion holding a flute.

  Xu Mingjin was startled, and just as she was about to turn around and run away, the person in the pavilion put down their flute and said: "Since you've come, then stay; since you've arrived, why turn around and leave? Isn't that unlike your character, Miss Xu?"

  Xu Mingjin relaxed as soon as he heard the voice: "I thought it was someone else, but it's actually you, Ze Gongzi." Xu Mingjin said, and then walked towards the pavilion.

  As they entered the pavilion, the two exchanged greetings and Xu Mingjin sat down. She looked around and found that Ze Gongzi was sitting alone in the dark, without even lighting a lamp. This struck her as strange: "Ze Gongzi, why didn't you have someone light the lamps? Sitting here all by yourself, aren't you afraid of water monsters crawling out to eat you?" Xu Mingjin joked: "Or perhaps you're waiting for the appearance of a beautiful mermaid?"

  Zé Gōngzǐ raised an eyebrow: "Mermaid? What's that thing?"

  "The mermaid is," Xu Mingjin, who was in a rare good mood, began to tell Ze Gongzi the story of the mermaid: "Legend has it that there is a group of humans living at the bottom of the sea. They have beautiful fish tails, soft long hair, and possess beautiful dance moves and moving singing voices. The little mermaid is the seventh daughter of the sea god, she has a pink fish tail and golden long hair as thick as seaweed. One day, while playing on the surface of the sea..."

  Because she deeply loved the prince, so on the second day at dawn, she jumped into the sea with a dagger and turned into foam and disappeared. Xu Mingjin finished telling the story of the mermaid in one breath. Ze Gongzi listened to it and didn't speak for a long time, after a long while, he slowly said: "Is there really a mermaid in the sea?"

  "You believe it exists and it does; you don't believe it and it doesn't." Xu Mingjin said casually, her gaze drifting towards the lake under the moonlight.

  "What a pity, this is a lake, and the mermaid is in the sea." Ze Gongzi also gazed at the sparkling lake under the moonlight.

  "Who says that? It's not necessarily true," Xu Mingjin retorted.

  "Yes, there's no mermaid, but there is a beauty." Zong Gongzi teased.

  Xu Mingjin burst out laughing, "She's only twelve years old and can be called a 'beauty'? What about those twenty-eight year olds who are just blooming? Shouldn't they go hit the wall?" Xu Mingjin laughed for a while before saying, "What tune were you just playing? Can you play it again for me to hear?"

  "I composed the tune myself, it doesn't have a name. If you want to listen, I'll play it again." Zegongzi said calmly, and then put the flute to his lips and started playing slowly.

  Xu Mingjin listened, her eyes gazing at the beautiful scenery by the lake. For some reason, she suddenly thought of a poem and couldn't help but recite it:

  The spring river's tide is connected to the calm sea, on the sea a bright moon shares its birth with the tide.

  Ripples follow waves for thousands of miles, where is there a spring river without a bright moon?

  The river winds its way through the fragrant fields, and the moon shines on the flower forest, all like frost.

  Frost flows in the empty air without being aware of flying, white sand on the shore can't be seen.

  The river and sky are one colour with no speck of dust; in the clear void a solitary wheel of moon.

  Who first saw the moon by the river? What year did the river moon first shine on people?

  Generations of human life are endless, but the river and the moon remain the same year after year.

  Zhe Gongzi couldn't help but stop, he carefully pondered the scene described in the poem, his expression rarely showing some excitement: "Miss Xu, is this poem written by you?"

  Xu Mingjin shook her head and said, "No, I saw it in a book." Her expression suddenly became somewhat embarrassed, oh no, how did she read it out loud?

  Zē Gōngzǐ didn't notice Xú Míngjǐn's expression, he repeatedly muttered the poem that Xú Míngjǐn had just recited, and couldn't help but ask: "What is the name of this poem?"

  "A Spring River Flower Moon Night."

  "Zē gōng zǐ, shí hòu bù zǎo le, wǒ xiān huí qù xī xī le, gào cí." Xú Míng jǐn dào.

  Translation:

  "Master Ze, it's getting late, I'll take my leave and rest first," said Xu Mingjin.

  "I'll send you back!" Zé Gōngzǐ stood up, put away the jade flute, and said calmly.

  Xu Mingjin did not refuse, anyway one person going back alone was desolate, having another person accompany him was also okay, so he didn't say anything, the two people slowly returned to Xu Mingjin's courtyard, one in front of the other.

  "I'll just send it here then! It's late at night and inconvenient for you to come in and have tea, please forgive me." Xu Mingjin said.

  Zi Gongzi nodded and saw that Chun Xiang, the senior maid beside Xu Mingjin, had already come out of the inner room, so he turned around and left.

  Xu Mingjin was just about to step into the courtyard when Chun Xing came out, complaining incessantly: "Miss, where have you been? I've been searching for you for half a day..."