Chapter 47: Enchantress

Five minutes later, the two stood on a bustling street within the ward. Shinian dusted the dirt off her hands, glancing proudly at her companion. “See? I told you no one would spot us coming out from there.”

Dugu Ying recalled how the girl had solemnly “scouted the enemy” inside the temple, stealthily circling around before finally selecting the low wall on the east side. In her words, “This wall seems tailor-made for our escape; it would be disrespectful not to climb it!”

He smiled faintly. “You’re quite bold.”

As a courtesan sneaking out with a client, discovery by the madam would lead to punishment—at worst, starvation for days. Shinian certainly knew this, but she wasn’t truly a courtesan, so Zheng Sanniang wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her.

Just as she considered brushing it off, he added, “If you’re so daring, why were you so frightened by just one word I said earlier?”

Shinian froze. He lightly reminded, “The Military Governor of Fanyang.”

The Military Governor of Fanyang? Shinian almost asked who that was, but suddenly remembered: An Lushan held that title at this time! He had just heard her call his name!

She tensed. Dugu Ying asked, “You know him?”

Shinian quickly shook her head. “No! I’m just a humble girl; how could I possibly know such a grand governor?”

“Then why did you call him just now?”

“Because… I recalled some rumors about Governor An, so I was speaking to myself…”

Afraid he might press her for details, and unable to tell him that An Lushan was soon to rebel, she was relieved when Dugu Ying merely smiled faintly and turned ahead.

Shinian exhaled in relief. But now that it was mentioned, she recalled her panic upon realizing the An-Shi Rebellion was imminent. According to historical records, An Lushan’s uprising began in the eleventh lunar month of the 14th year of the Tianbao era, and now it was only July. If they acted swiftly, they likely wouldn’t be caught in the chaos.

With that thought, her mood brightened immediately.

Dugu Ying had already walked ahead; Shinian caught up with a few steps. He turned his head and said, “It’s quite lively today.”

Indeed, it was bustling. The Tang dynasty forbade shops on main streets, so aside from the East and West Markets, every ward had shops catering to residents’ daily needs. On this fine day, shops on both sides were open—vendors selling gold, silver, jade, teahouses, and taverns. Near the ward gates, steaming soup buns were being hawked.

Shinian was engrossed, casually picking up a round fan from a nearby stall to fan herself, when a voice called out, “Madam Shinian?”

Her temple throbbed sharply again. Suppressing a breakdown, she turned to see several young men in brocade robes. The lead man smiled, saying, “We’ve visited Wang Qijia’s house many times but never met you. Didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Tang courtesan houses were usually named after famous courtesans or madams rather than in a provocative manner. Shinian’s was called “Wang Qijia’s” after Wang Susu. So these men had visited the brothel several times looking for her?

Shinian frowned. Though she hadn’t been appearing lately, her reputation from that night had evidently spread. Many requested to see her by name; that was why Brice always accompanied her—to prevent persistent clients from bothering her. She hadn’t expected to run into them so directly today.

Just as she tensed, she felt her right hand grasped. Dugu Ying looked down at her with a smile. “Want this? The fans here aren’t good. If you truly like it, I know an embroidery shop whose products are unmatched. I’ll have someone buy one and send it to you someday.”

“I don’t need—”

“No need to refuse. Hands as delicate as yours deserve only the finest fans in Chang’an.”

Shinian was stunned by his sudden tenderness. The men also noticed Dugu Ying and immediately changed expression. “Dugu Yulang? Aren’t you the secret guest of Wang Duzhi? Why are you with Madam Shinian again?”

But Dugu Ying only stared at Shinian, ignoring them. The man noticed their joined hands and his gaze turned cold. After a moment, he sneered, “Zijing, this is Madam Shinian. That night you left early, missing her marvelous singing. Such a pity.”

At these words, all eyes turned to the man behind him—a fair, delicate-looking young man, familiar to Shinian as the very Li Jun who had been humiliated by Wang Susu that night!

A bad premonition rose in Shinian’s heart. Sure enough, another man sneered sarcastically, “So what if you heard it? We thought only Wang Duzhi was like that, but even this Madam Shinian is the same. We’ve tried to visit her repeatedly but never found her, only to see her out here playing with Dugu Yulang. Doesn’t Zheng Sanniang care?”

Brice’s worries were confirmed. The clients who couldn’t meet her had grown angry! Shinian glared resentfully at Dugu Ying. He shouldn’t have come out earlier; these men already bore grudges against him, and she was merely caught up in it.

Li Jun cleared his throat. “If Madam is unavailable, there’s no point in us lingering. Let’s go elsewhere.”

His companions were displeased. They mocked, “Zijing has suddenly become so chivalrous, but where was the ‘Hot Chase’ that night?”

Laughter erupted. The tale of Wang Susu humiliating Li Jun and the nickname “Hot Chase” were well known in Chang’an’s pleasure quarters. Li Jun had been mocked wherever he went, utterly embarrassed. Yet surprisingly, he admitted, “That night I was drunk and out of line; Wang Duzhi was right to teach me a lesson. No one else is to blame.”

Li Jun was surprisingly sensible when sober.

Others, however, didn’t understand. “Zijing is too soft on those courtesans. They’re nothing but playthings! We’ve treated them well, and now they think they’re someone special and act high and mighty!”

“Are you afraid Madam Shinian will write a poem to insult you? If she hadn’t flirted with us first, we wouldn’t have even glanced her way. I want to see if she has the guts!”

The conversation went on too long and caught the attention of nearby passersby. Though Pingkang Ward was full of courtesan houses, the women rarely appeared outside. Besides the clients, ordinary people seldom saw these flowers. Hearing that Shinian belonged to Wang Duzhi’s house and had some reputation, a crowd gathered—men curious, women disdainful, whispering and pointing.

Shinian had never been so openly watched before. She felt awkward, embarrassed, and a vague anger. The men looked at her as if she were a clueless dog, their gazes lascivious. She had thought the flourishing Tang dynasty’s Pingkang Ward, though a den of pleasure, still maintained refinement and elegance; but these men shattered her illusions.

No matter how beautiful and talented, courtesans were still lowly and contemptible. No one truly saw them as human.

Dugu Ying noticed Shinian’s expression darken and raised an eyebrow. These lecherous men, respectable in public but unruly when denied, were no better than common scolds. While Susu handled them with grace, Shinian seemed unable to cope and could only endure silently.

How dull.

Just as he was about to intervene, Shinian suddenly smiled faintly. “Gentlemen, you’re right.”

Everyone was taken aback.

She lifted her head, a delicate smile playing on her lips. “If I hadn’t deliberately seduced you, none of you would have glanced at me.”

The foremost brocade-robed man scoffed, “Good that you know…”

“Since you gentlemen have thought so thoroughly, then no matter what I do now, you won’t be moved, right?”

The question was odd. The man hesitated. Shinian’s smile deepened. “You seem uncertain.”

“Who says that!” he snapped. “No matter how you pose or play, you’re just a joke to me!”

“Good. With that, I’m relieved.”

Dugu Ying had been watching her. As she spoke, she stepped beside the man, placing her right hand on his lower back. The girl’s breath was like orchids. “I’m not doing anything. I just want you to know that besides playing music, I know how to seduce.”

In the next instant, she blinked coquettishly and threw him a flirtatious glance.

Just like that?

Dugu Ying barely suppressed a laugh, but then the man suddenly trembled violently, as if possessed. His whole body shook uncontrollably, facial muscles twitching wildly, and he uttered strange “ho ho” sounds!

The crowd gasped and backed away, watching as he rolled his eyes and collapsed onto the ground.

A tremendous crash followed as a nearby stall was overturned. He writhed in the mess.

The bustling street fell into complete silence.

Everyone stared at Shinian, as if stunned.

“W-What kind of sorcery did you use? What did you do to him?” one of the man’s companions finally snapped out of shock, pointing angrily at Shinian.

“What could I do?” she said innocently. “So many people were watching. I just blinked—nothing else.”

She raised both hands, empty. Indeed, she had done nothing. And even if she had, what could possibly cause such a reaction?

His symptoms were clearly possession!

Could it really be just from a blink?

Shinian sighed softly. “Sir, you like me that much? Had I known, I would have made time to see you on all your previous visits to save you from public embarrassment today…”

Under the glaring sun, the girl smiled slyly like a fox. Dugu Ying recalled that blink—it was simple, yet cunning and lively, reminding him of tales of mountain spirits and demons.

Seeing the man’s miserable state, Shinian felt triumphant. Serves you right for your foul talk!

A slight weight dropped on her waist—the stun baton had been slipped back into place. She marveled at her discovery of eighteen ways to use the device: not only to knock someone out but also to conceal it in her sleeve and use half power to fake supernatural tricks and spook people.

Before she could revel further, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the crowd. Shinian stumbled along. Once around the corner, she broke free. “What are you doing?”

“If you don’t leave quickly, do you want to stay and be gawked at? Or be dragged before the Chang’an Prefect as a fox spirit?” Dugu Ying said.

Shinian snapped awake. Right, with that stunt, superstitious ancient folks would think she was a demon. She had to run.

Looking at Dugu Ying’s face, she wondered what he thought of the strange scene just now.

“Do you think I’m a fox spirit too?”

Dugu Ying tilted his head to appraise her, then pinched her chin, half-joking, half-serious. “I never believe in such things.”

Shinian dodged his hand. “Good. Actually, it’s partly your fault. If you hadn’t pretended to be intimate with me in front of them, they wouldn’t have gotten so angry.”

“Pretended? I wasn’t pretending. Everything I said was sincere.”

“Really? Then where’s that precious fan you promised? When will you give it to me?”

“If you want it, I’ll give it—any number of fans you want.”

His tone was confident. Shinian wrinkled her nose. “What if I want something more expensive? Ten times more expensive… no, a hundred times more expensive than a fan?”

“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Such generosity suggested “a thousand gold for a smile.” Still, Shinian’s heart skipped a beat.

She felt familiarity stirring. Climbing walls, shopping in the city—this all seemed to have happened before. Looking up, she saw the prosperous cityscape of Chang’an.

Yes, it was here, a thousand years ago, in the Weiyang Palace, when someone had brought her over the wall to see the woman destined to be his wife.

Later, he took her all over Chang’an, promising atop the city walls to build a palace for her, to be with her forever…

“Niannian?”

Suddenly awakened from a dream, Shinian glimpsed Dugu Ying’s suspicious gaze. “What are you thinking about now?”

“Nothing…”

Ignoring his reaction, Shinian looked off into the distance.

Dugu Ying stared at her profile silently. He had seen many women, but her expression showed she was recalling someone—not a person she hated or someone trivial, but someone she cared for deeply, even longed for…

His brow furrowed.

By the time they returned to the brothel, dusk had fallen. Entering through the side door, Dugu Ying accompanied Shinian to her room. Lanterns swayed gently along the corridor. She bit her lip, hesitating whether to say goodbye like this.

Their earlier polite conversation had yielded nothing, and given their current statuses, a simple walk was one thing, but sharing a room was awkward…

While she pondered, he bypassed her and walked inside.

“Yulang? Dugu Yulang?”

Shinian hurried after him, but the room was empty. Brice was nowhere to be seen, and even the maid attending her had yet to return.

“Nobody here,” Dugu Ying said. “From your expression earlier, I thought there was something you didn’t want me to see.”

Shinian was stunned. Everyone knew about her Hu merchant benefactor; did Dugu Ying think she was hesitating because of that?

“Even if there were, it would be just you and me here. No one else could see him,” she said seriously.

Reasonable enough. Brice was officially her protector.

Dugu Ying was momentarily speechless, then smiled. “Since he’s not back yet, I’ll sit a while. Hope that’s okay?”

“Of course.”

Seated by the window, the moonlight spilled like water over the courtyard, silver frost on the ground. Shinian rested her hands on her lap, feeling the long silence inside. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed.

What were they supposed to talk about…

“Well, those men this afternoon seemed connected. Did we offend them? Is it a problem…”

Dugu Ying said, “Afraid now?”

She wasn’t truly afraid, but regretted it. If those men caused trouble later and affected their mission, it would be a costly mistake.

“They’re just some spoiled sons of nobility. Don’t worry about them,” he said calmly.

Shinian studied him, curious. She felt fearless, but why was he so composed despite offending so many powerful youths?

Only then did she notice that though Dugu Ying seemed frivolous and reckless, he was also disciplined—his posture perfect, his cup-holding graceful. Having met two emperors and many nobles, she recognized the refined bearing shaped by years of aristocratic upbringing. This Dugu Ying seemed from a good family…

From his boasting earlier, he wasn’t bluffing. He had lived in the brothel for almost three months, monopolizing Wang Susu, the top courtesan. Could all this really be from winning a poetry contest? She was Zheng Sanniang’s cash cow!

Yet, previous records from Nie City described him as a penniless poet drowning sorrows in brothels. Who was he really?

“This is my first time in someone else’s room,” Dugu Ying suddenly chuckled.

“Hm?”

“Really. Except for Susu, I haven’t cared for any other woman.”

Shinian’s eyes flicked; an idea formed. “Yulang, your standards are high. Among all the flowers in Pingkang Ward, only Wang Duzhi catches your eye. But since you’re so close, have you ever thought of redeeming her freedom?”

Dugu Ying paused while pouring wine. “You want me to redeem her?”

“Duzhi is beautiful and kind—I naturally hope she finds a good home.”

Dugu Ying was silent for a moment, smiling ambiguously. “You have a kind heart.”

“I hope so. But I don’t know where you live, if you have a wife, or what her temper is like. Could she tolerate Duzhi?”

“A wife…” He held his cup, gazing distantly as if recalling something far away. “I do have a wife, and she’s very kind. But…”

“But what?”

“My mother is a strong, jealous woman. She forbids her husband from taking concubines and even forbids us sons from having them. My eldest brother lost his heir status because he favored a concubine and angered mother…”

…A feminist in the Tang dynasty?

Shinian was shocked by this woman’s fierceness and found the story strangely familiar. Dugu Ying suddenly leaned closer. “But now there’s no need to fear. My mother can’t control me anymore. I can actually redeem someone’s freedom. Would you want that?”

“W-What?”

“I mean, I have no intention of freeing Susu, but you… would you come with me?”

Shinian was speechless.

“Yulang, you can’t be joking…”

“I’m not. I’ve wanted to say this for a long time—you look very much like one of my concubines. I liked her very much and kept her in secret from my mother. But now we’re separated… She once said she had a biological younger sister who was lost when very young. I’m wondering if you might be that sister…”

In a flash, Shinian’s mind recalled the day she first arrived here. She had bumped into him in the room; he was drunk and called her…

“Wan Niang…”

Surprise flickered in his eyes. “You know her? You know Wan Niang? Are you really her sister?”

Shinian’s heart raced. Suddenly, she felt the breakthrough she had been seeking! Could it be that she had first met him because she resembled his concubine exactly? Since the concubine had a younger sister, she could impersonate that sister and easily gain his trust!

Besides, since the sisters had been separated since childhood, she didn’t need to know much about Wan Niang to pass as her!

Calming herself, she replied with feigned surprise, “Yes, I do have an elder sister; her name is Wan Niang…”

The corridor was still, the bright moon shining clearly.

In the dimly lit room, Dugu Ying stared at her unblinkingly, softly saying, “Really? I thought I was mistaken…”

His hand moved closer, seemingly to stroke her hair, and just as Shinian was about to smile, her eyes flew wide.

His hand tightened around her throat!

Shinian gasped, “What are you—”

His grip increased, silencing her instantly. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by icy cruelty. Yet his voice remained gentle.

“I thought I was mistaken. It was really you who broke into my room that night and hurt me…”

He knew! He had recognized her!

Shinian’s heart screamed in terror. How could this be? Had he recognized her from the start, and all the later acts were just a performance?!

“Who sent you? What do you want? To kill me, or to extract something?”

She couldn’t reply, struggling to pry his hand off. Dugu Ying said, “Forget it. I don’t care about the dead’s motives. But if there’s a next life, you better think carefully before lying. Wan Niang’s sister… Haha, besides me, no one here knows Wan Niang. Not a single soul.”

Why? Had he been uncertain at first, only deciding she was lying because she claimed to be Wan Niang’s sister?

What did he mean, no one here knew Wan Niang?!

Perhaps too panicked, she suddenly realized a question she had long ignored. Each previous string wave corresponded to a shift event; if there were two events, they would detect two wave ranges. But in fact, they sensed a single, broad wave range and were automatically sent to two time points.

This was illogical unless…

The two time points corresponded to the same event.

But what could affect a span of over a hundred years?

Her brain began to lose oxygen; she felt dizzy and the room blurred. She thought she was dying, but then a vision flashed before her eyes.

A magnificent palace, jade steps, golden bricks. All ministers knelt. At the center of the hall was Dugu Ying in court robes, solemnly kneeling before a nine-step throne, as the chancellor proclaimed an imperial edict.

“…Now, His Royal Highness Yang Guang, the emperor’s second son, by divine will, is granted the seal and established as Crown Prince, rightful heir to the Eastern Palace…”

The Prince of Jin, Yang Guang.

Yang Guang.

The Sui Emperor Yang Guang!

Shinian’s eyes snapped open. Dugu Ying still gripped her throat but had lessened his force, seemingly checking if she was dead. Summoning strength, she grabbed his hand.

“You think I wouldn’t know Wan Niang because Wan Niang… isn’t from here, right?”

Dugu Ying’s brow twitched.

She smiled hoarsely, using her last strength. “Not only Wan Niang… but you, sir… you’re not from here either, are you?”

Dugu Ying’s pupils suddenly contracted sharply.