Zhang gentleman, embarrassed and angry, left after dropping a harsh threat, “If you don’t hand her over in three days, I’ll stop your teaching house from selling wine.”
“Brewing and selling wine required official permission. While ordinary people could brew small amounts of wine at home, selling wine was different – without official approval, it was forbidden. And this Zhang gentleman was in charge of such matters.
Madam Wang was now anxious. Nearly half of her daily earnings came from selling wine. Moreover, without wine, who would come to her establishment? But Madam Wang’s anxiety was useless. She asked everyone in and around the teaching house, but no one had seen Miss Yi leave; she had vanished. Unexpectedly, she returned on her own after three days. Madam Wang was both shocked and delighted, determined to keep Miss Yi to protect her business.
But how could Yu Yi agree? When Madam Wang refused to let her buy her freedom, she had already thought of using other means to force her to agree.
At this moment, Zhang gentleman’s voice came from outside: “Madam Wang, I hear Miss Yi is back?”
Madam Wang quickly stood up and responded, “Yes, Master Zhang, she’s right here!” Then she turned to Yu Yi, “You must entertain Master Zhang properly.” She tried to pull Yu Yi towards the door.
Yu Yi dodged her grasp, and with a sharp dagger at Madam Wang’s throat, she asked, “Want to die or live?”
Madam Wang’s face turned pale, so scared she could barely speak, “Miss Yi, don’t, I want to live.”
“
“If you want to live, speak according to my words.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Yu Yi pressed the dagger into Madam Wang’s waist, pushing her slowly towards the door, “Smile and open the door.”
Madam Wang’s face was sorrowful, “With a knife at my back, I can’t smile.”
Yu Yi coldly laughed, “When you forced others to smile and receive guests, didn’t you ever think this day would come?” She pushed the dagger a bit further, its tip slightly piercing Madam Wang’s flesh, “Just speak as you normally would, and nothing will happen. But if Master Zhang detects even the slightest hint of something wrong…”
Madam Wang nodded vigorously, “Miss Yi, I’ll say whatever you want me to say.”
Yu Yi pulled the dagger back slightly, “Open the door.”
Madam Wang squeezed out her signature smile, opening the door.
Zhang gentleman was just climbing to the third floor and saw Madam Wang and Yu Yi together, looking pleased, “Madam Wang, you are indeed sensible.”
Madam Wang, unsure of Yu Yi’s instructions, could only laugh and greet, “Master Zhang.”
Yu Yi said, “Master Zhang, someone has bought my freedom. I am no longer a prostitute in this teaching house.”
Zhang gentleman was stunned. Seeing Madam Wang not deny it, he glared and shouted, “Madam Wang, how did I speak to you the other day? You actually agreed to let her buy her freedom? Do you still want to run this teaching house?”
Let me tell you, even if someone is buying her freedom now, three days ago she was still a government prostitute. What was agreed upon must be completed before she can leave!”
Chapter 44: Yu Yi’s Spacetime (2)
Seeing Zhang gentleman was furious and insisted Yu Yi spend the night, Madam Wang looked bitter, “Master Zhang, this is not…” Before finishing, she felt the dagger pressing against her lower back. Sweating and terrified, she quickly changed her words, following Yu Yi’s lead: “Master Zhang, a noble gentleman has bought Miss Yi’s freedom. This servant dare not refuse!”
Zhang gentleman said “Oh?” curiously, “Who is it?”
Madam Wang, frowning and forcing a smile, replied: “It’s a county prince.”
Master Zhang looked suspiciously at Yi Yu, then at Madam Wang, “Which county prince?”
Madam Wang was distressed. “Isn’t it that one… the Zhenping County Prince. He doesn’t usually come, but he came three days ago and couldn’t take his eyes off Miss Yi at first sight. Later, when Master Zhang, you couldn’t find Miss Yi in your room, it was actually the County Prince who suddenly took Miss Yi away. I only found out today.”
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True to her reputation as the number one gossip in the pleasure house, Madam Wang instantly fabricated a watertight love-at-first-sight story.
Master Zhang looked skeptically at Yi Yu again, “So you are already the wife of the Zhenping County Prince…”
“This concubine is now the County Prince’s woman. The County Prince not only bought my freedom but also wants to marry me as a concubine,” Yi Yu blushed and nodded, secretly praising Madam Wang’s well-crafted story.
Master Zhang was unhappy, but he didn’t want to jeopardize his official career over jealousy. He said with a dark face, “Madam Wang, what about the compensation you promised me?”
Although Madam Wang was pained to part with the silver, she was more afraid for her life. Seeing Master Zhang was willing to accept compensation, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Why don’t you go drink at the Peony Pavilion? Today’s wine is on this servant’s tab. I’ll bring you fifteen taels of silver in a moment.”
After Master Zhang left, Madam Wang trembled and slowly turned around, pleading with Yi Yu, “Miss Yi, I’ve done everything you said. Can you stop pointing the knife at me?”
“Close the door,” Yi Yu commanded simply. After Madam Wang closed the door, she lowered her dagger, “Bring out my deed of sale.”
Madam Wang found Yi Yu’s deed of sale and handed it to her.
Yi Yu waved her dagger, and Madam Wang shuddered, quickly changing her words, “Two, twenty taels of silver?”
Yi Yu looked at the deed of sale, “When Madam Wang bought me, you only used two taels of silver.”
Madam Wang anxiously said, “But I’ve fed and housed you for a year!”
“Didn’t I earn silver for Madam Wang?”
“Fine, then… two, two taels,” Madam Wang felt it was truly painful.
“Please write a document and sign your name, to make it convenient for me to register with the Pleasure House Bureau.”
“I can’t write!”
“Then shall I accompany you to the Pleasure House Bureau tomorrow?”
What else could she do? She couldn’t refuse. Madam Wang agreed wholeheartedly, but was already planning something else. Today, she was caught off guard and forced to hand over the deed of sale, receiving only two taels of silver. But if she dared to come tomorrow, someone would “welcome” her.
Madam Wang watched Yi Yu’s departing back, smiling triumphantly. So what if she took the deed of sale? If she didn’t go to the Pleasure House Bureau to change her status, she would still be a lowly person.
Finally gaining her freedom, Yi Yu closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
The next step was to find her mother and sisters.
Yu Yi only knew that they were sold as servants because they were too old or too young to enter the courtesans’ house. At the time, the case of Loyal Marquis Yu Bin was handled by the Ministry of Punishment, and Yu Yi was taken directly from the prison to the courtesans’ house. She thought the Ministry might have records of who bought the female relatives of the convicted, but as a commoner, Yu Yi couldn’t enter the ministry’s gates. To find them, she asked Bo Shi to help her search.
Yu Yi first found the household where her mother Yu Song resided. After explaining her identity to the gatekeeper and waiting a short while, Yu Song came out.
From a distance, though Yu Song’s clothing was simple, the fabric was fine and clean, about 80-90% intact. Her hair was meticulously combed, with a silver hairpin in her bun. Yu Yi’s vision blurred, and she called out softly, “Mother.”
Yu Song, though told by the gatekeeper that a woman claiming to be her daughter had come, didn’t quite believe it. Upon seeing her eldest daughter after more than half a year, Yu Song ran, tears filling her eyes by the time she reached her: “Yi’er, how… how…”
