The Child I Raised Has Been Reborn - Chapter 1

The Lantern Festival was the liveliest day of the year. Crowds filled the streets and alleys, colorful lanterns hung everywhere, and children carried decorated lanterns, singing traditional songs.

Yesterday’s rain had left puddles on the uneven streets, and anyone who stepped into them risked getting splashed.

Yongping Alley was also brightly lit with colorful lanterns. Walking down the alley was like walking in daylight, and at the end of the brightly lit path stood the infamous Jade Spring Tower.

The entire alley was lined with brothels, but Jade Spring Tower was the most notorious of them all.

Ping’er walked down the alley, clutching her lantern and shivering from the cold. The guards following her were equally curious. “Miss,” one of them asked, “why would His Highness come to a place like this?”

The alley was filled with drunken patrons, mumbling obscene words and making greasy gestures. The sight frightened Ping’er, and she gripped her lantern tightly, hurrying onward.

As she approached Jade Spring Tower, she was startled by the sight of the mansion itself. Large red lanterns hung from its eaves, their crimson glow piercing the gloom like a coal fire in a snowy landscape. She felt an overwhelming urge to rush inside and warm up.

Ping’er, ever cautious, bypassed the main entrance and knocked on a rear door just as she was about to leave Yongping Alley. The person inside immediately ushered her in.

The rear courtyard was adorned with colorful lanterns, making Ping’er’s own lantern seem rather plain in comparison.

As she crossed the courtyard, the sound of flutes and xiao (Chinese vertical flutes) drifted to her ears. As she approached the colonnade, she heard faint, obscene noises. These sounds quickly swelled like a tidal wave, enveloping her.

Her hands trembled, her heart raced, and her face flushed with heat. Ping’er muttered to herself, “Your Highness, why would you come to such a place? How can you stand this chaos?”

After mumbling a few more words, the young girl entered the main hall. The sudden brightness struck her like the protagonist of Peach Blossom Springs encountering an entirely different world.

On a raised platform, a woman danced with her robes half-undone, her supple waist bending and twisting like soft dough, beautiful yet seemingly pliant to the touch. The sight was so shocking that Ping’er couldn’t bear to look directly. In the blink of an eye, a woman escorted a man past her, the man’s hand brazenly resting on her chest.

Ping’er was about to vomit from disgust. When she could stay no longer, she saw her Mistress calmly seated on a nearby platform, her slender figure upright and composed as autumn’s harvest.

Ping’er quickly ascended the platform. Several women approached, dressed in flimsy silk robes despite the winter chill. Unlike proper ladies, these courtesans showed no shame in their exposed skin, instead crowding closer to her Mistress.

Ping’er flew into a rage, shoving them away and glaring defiantly with her hands on her hips. “Don’t you know shame?”

The gaily dressed women covered their mouths with giggles. “Everyone who comes here knows no shame.”

Ping’er’s face flushed crimson, but they paid her no mind, instead glancing past her. The solemnly seated guest, with her red lips and white teeth, now had something new: a pierced earlobe, a feature reserved for women. They exchanged glances, immediately realizing she was a woman disguised.

In this dynasty, women could marry, a practice that became widespread after Emperor Ming wed his Empress. Since then, relationships between women had openly flourished. The Jade Spring Tower catered to female clients, though at a higher price.

Compared to the rough, masculine men, they preferred the gentle warmth of women, crafted from the same essence of water.

Ping’er couldn’t match the strength of the three women and was easily pushed aside, helplessly watching them approach her mistress and anxiously stamping her feet.

The guest exuded an imposing aura. When she raised her eyes, a sharp intensity flashed in her gaze, a natural presence that dared others to meet her stare.

Only one word came to mind: tyrannical.

*****

Clients at Jade Spring Tower were often tyrannical and unreasonable, using their wealth to act imperiously, their fake bravado bolstered by money. But this person was different. Those dark eyes clashed sharply with her exquisite beauty, while the hands caressing the white porcelain teacup were impossible to look away from. Each slender finger was like a flawless piece of jade, exquisitely carved and polished.

Just then, a crash came from behind the sandalwood screen as a chair was overturned. The three women tensed, instinctively glancing over their shoulders.

Jade Spring Tower was the city’s largest pleasure house, frequented by the wealthy and powerful. Anyone who dared cause a scene here would carefully weigh their status.

After the screams, the manager of Flower House hurried over personally to offer tea and apologize.

Ping’er peeked out, then yelped and quickly withdrew her head. She leaned in quietly to whisper in her mistress’s ear, “Your Highness, it’s Wu An, the son of the Marquis of Rongchang.”

The Marquis of Rongchang was the Young Emperor’s maternal grandfather, so his son was naturally the Emperor’s uncle.

The crowd held its breath, listening to the clattering of cups and dishes crashing to the floor. The mistress Ping’er spoke of frowned slightly. Then a man’s voice drifted over from the next room: “What are you waiting for? If Mingshu isn’t here today, just close Jade Spring Tower for the day!”

Jade Spring Tower frequently brought in stunning women, most of whom had been sold into the establishment. Mingshu was one such woman, but this particular individual was different. The Manager had spent ten thousand taels of silver to acquire her.

Having invested so heavily, the Manager was reluctant to let her be seen easily. After all, Wu An wasn’t known for his extravagant spending.

Many people knew Wu An’s family background; even if they had the money, they wouldn’t dare buy Mingshu for their amusement.

Wu An’s outburst threatened to ruin the establishment. The Manager, growing increasingly anxious, hurried to appease him: “Please understand, Your Highness, Mingshu only arrived yesterday. She’s not yet fully trained. Why don’t you wait a few days? I’ll have her properly disciplined before you see her.”

“No need to wait. Once you’ve ‘disciplined’ her, she’ll be worthless…”

The woman in red approached Ping’er and gently pushed her aside. Ping’er bristled, spreading her arms to block her path. “My mistress doesn’t like you.”

“If she didn’t like me, why would she come here?” The woman in red glanced at the two women beside her, who immediately understood and pulled Ping’er back.

Outnumbered, Ping’er’s small face flushed crimson as she watched helplessly as the woman approached her mistress.

Qin Tangxi ignored the woman’s attempts at flattery, her icy gaze fixed on the screen. The woman’s heart fluttered at this cold reception, and when she met Qin Tangxi’s deep eyes, she instinctively swallowed and offered an explanation. “That’s the young master of the Marquis of Rongchang’s household. I don’t know when this rule started, but apparently, all new girls here must be ‘seen’ by him.”

“Seen” meant far more than a simple glance.

The screen offered no soundproofing, and the Manager’s fawning voice carried clearly across. “Please wait a little longer, or come again tomorrow. Think about it, these girls are wild by nature. It wouldn’t do to offend you. We have plenty of girls here; we won’t miss her.”

“I’m bored of the others. I want her. Will you show her or not?”

The man’s voice, rich with arrogance, carried the weight of the Emperor’s own uncle, a man not to be trifled with.

The manager tried every trick in the book to persuade him, even summoning beautiful courtesans to entertain him with their charm. Their exquisite beauty and alluring manner drew envious glances from onlookers.

The red-clad woman sat beside Qin Tangxi, delicately lifting a wine cup and refilling it with considerate care. “The Young Marquis has been coming here daily,” she remarked. “I hear he’s received some special rewards, and the Marquis of Rongchang even indulges his every whim now.”

No sooner had she spoken than a drunken man at the side slurred, “The Marquis of Rongchang dares to flaunt his power now that he’s risen. Back when the Duke of Xinguo fought on the battlefield, he foolishly trusted that man and ended up ruined and dead…”

“Better drink more and talk less,” the courtesan beside him retorted, lifting the wine jar to his lips and pouring the liquor down his throat to silence his dangerous ramblings.

Meanwhile, the manager gradually managed to calm Wu An. After a moment, he staggered out from behind a folding screen, alone.

The woman in red gazed intently after him until his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor. Only then did she snap back to reality, noticing the wine in her cup remained untouched.

This guest was truly unlike any other. To come to a pleasure house and sit quietly without drinking was a first. Her reserved demeanor was even more alluring than the courtesans’ provocative postures.

Mizhen began to regret choosing this customer. Had she known she was so unresponsive, she wouldn’t have approached at all.

Qin Tangxi’s gaze slowly drifted to the raised stage. Under the bright lamps, the dancer’s seductive movements ignited the atmosphere, pushing it to a fever pitch. Many patrons, their attention now focused on the half-dressed woman, had completely forgotten what had happened earlier.

The sound of the sheng and xiao instruments drowned out the pleasure house’s languid melodies. Amidst the red lights and green wine, the patrons indulged in reckless pleasure. Drunk, many left with courtesans in their arms.

Mizhen couldn’t sit still either, but the guest’s striking beauty left her hesitant. Her gaze lingered on the intricate cloud brocade patterns at the sleeve cuffs, trying to deduce the noble’s identity.

Cloud brocade wasn’t something ordinary families could afford. Merchants wouldn’t dare use it, and most gentry couldn’t afford it. Only someone like Wu An would wear such a fabric.

Summoning her courage, she climbed onto the noble’s lap, her smile growing more coquettish, her voice soft and sweet as she asked, “Would you like to retire?”

Qin Tangxi turned, her pale, flawless skin on full display. She subtly pushed Mizhen away, her expression growing visibly impatient.

That flicker of impatience was enough to make Mizhen retreat. Swallowing hard, her nerves stretched taut.

Ping’er, having finally resolved two troublesome matters, hurried over, panting as she pushed Mizhen aside. “Get out of the way! How dare someone as ugly as you speak to our Grand Princess—my mistress!”

No sooner had she spoken than a loud crash echoed from the inner chamber. Qin Tangxi calmly raised her gaze to see a figure stumbling frantically down the corridor.

The figure ran swiftly, as if fleeing for their life, their pink robes stained with crimson streaks. After only a few steps, they were grabbed and dragged back.

The staircase lay in the middle of the corridor. Qin Tangxi slowly approached the stairs, Mizhen unwilling to miss a moment, quickly following behind.

Just as they reached the staircase, the figure charged forward again, this time with a bloody smear across their forehead. Mizhen gasped in shock. “Mingshu…”

Qin Tangxi looked up and saw Wu An trailing behind, his lecherous smirk dripping with sleazy intent. She frowned involuntarily, but before she could react, the blood-stained figure collapsed at her feet.

Pale, slender hands clutched at her skirt, the bloodstain making the girl’s eyes appear crimson. Wu An reached out to drag her away, but the girl clung desperately to Qin Tangxi’s leg, sobbing, “Save me… save me… save me…”

The broken sobs made Qin Tangxi pause. She glanced up at the man across from her. “Wu An.”

Wu An shuddered violently, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. “G-Grand Princess… Your Highness…”

Support The Child I Raised Has Been Reborn