The blood slowly settled down, and the singerâs cries grew weaker.
The strong smell of blood, however, stimulated another nerve in Hai Geli for slaughter.
His eyes gradually reddened and grew more insane.
His actions became increasingly large and uncontrollable, more and more mad.
He even wanted to stab the singer to death!
Right, stab to death!
Die, just die!
Everyone in the Chu Dynasty deserves to die!
Occupying such a large piece of lucky land, enjoying comforts for generations, itâs enough, they should be content.
Itâs just time for our turn now!
No one knew how much time had passed.
The singer gradually stopped breathing.
The blood underneath was still gushing downward.
Hai Geli withdrew his thick spear, licking the corner of his lips with satisfaction.
He suddenly felt that this way was quite good.
It pleased himself and also killed, truly killing two birds with one stone.
In the following days.
Every day he would have a different singer serve him.
When he first entered the city and slaughtered, he ordered everyone to gather all the beautiful women in a large courtyard.
Now...
The women in the courtyard were becoming fewer and fewer.
Every day, one would be taken away, yet no one was ever brought back.
The watchmen said that they were taken to another place.
But they knew.
The so-called other place wasnât on earth, but hell!
Finally, one day.
The remaining singers could no longer bear the unknown fear.
Moreover, they all knew it was the insane Hai Geli who ravaged Yinshan City.
The men, women, old, young, daughters, fathers, their dear young lord, the Great Shopkeeper who always cherished them.
Everyone was dead.
They could no longer play and sing, no longer serve others, no longer live well.
In that case, they might as well die with dignity!
However, they couldnât die for nothing!
Weak women couldnât defend their country, couldnât fight on the battlefield, but they could still bring one more down with them!
After thinking it through, they made a crazy and bold decision.
"Group revenge!"
Who says courtesans donât know the sorrow of a ruined nation? Courtesans also have backbone!
They decided on this.
They used their remaining little time to rehearse a new song and dance.
And spent silver, entrusted someone to convey the message to Hai Geli.
They had rehearsed a new piece, asking if he would need their remaining sisters to serve him!
Hai Geli was very pleased upon hearing this and immediately agreed, gifting them several sets of the most beautiful dance costumes.
The few of them felt a sense of wistfulness as they held the beautiful costumes.
It was going to be the last performance of their lives!
But it didnât matter.
Sixteen years later, they would be oirans all over again, no, they wouldnât be oirans anymore.
They would be the esteemed young ladies of noble families.
No need to sell smiles, no need to be beaten or scolded by the madam, no need to entertain guests.
With the love of parents, the protection of brothers, they could find a good husband, and live in harmony all their lives.
How wonderful!
The few women laughed and joked as they dressed and applied makeup.
"By then, I will definitely choose the most handsome husband, someone both courageous and scholarly, with a high nose ridge..."
"Oh, are you not embarrassed, dreaming of a handsome husband!!" another woman joked.
"What? You donât want a handsome husband?"
The woman shook her head with a charming smile, then said proudly.
"Saying I donât want it would be false, but outward appearance is just a shell, the most important thing is a harmonious understanding!"
"I just want someone whoâs good to me, whoâll spare me fear and suffering, spare me the wandering, spare me the helplessness..."
Amidst the conversation, they laughed together.
A woman with a beautiful appearance remained silent, making the others curious.
"Lianlian, why are you not speaking? What kind of person do you want?"
Lianlian was the least experienced among them and the least educated.
Her family was so poor they couldnât get enough to eat, so she was sold to traffickers, and after a few rounds, sold here to be a singer.
Fortunately, she had a good appearance, and was modest and kind.
The surrounding sisters were willing to teach her, and gradually they got along well. Thus she learned to sing and play for a living.
Now...
Lianlianâs round face lit up with a smile full of longing.
"I want to find someone who can read!"
She had wanted to read and write since childhood, but her family was too poor, her brothers didnât have the silver to go to school, how could it be her turn?
"Find a literate husband, Iâll bear him a few children!"
"Let the husband teach the children to read and write, each of them could read without spending silver!"
Hearing Lianlianâs simple and honest wish.
The few of them didnât tease her as they usually did.
Instead, their eyes filled with tears, their noses souring.
"We will, Lianlian, we definitely will!"
"Weâve done good deeds in this life, heaven will open its eyes, in the next life weâll all be young ladies!"
"Weâll never sell smiles again!"
"Yes, yes!"
They cried, holding each other for a while, then tidied up their appearances.
They each took sharp hairpins and ornaments, placing them in their hair.
"Those bastards, they killed so many of us! At least one will prick them with this hairpin!"
"Hmph! They dream of us serving them!"
After cursing for a while, they finished tidying up.
They wore the most exquisite makeup, the most gorgeous silk clothes.
They boarded the carriage that came to fetch them and left without looking back.
As expected, once they entered the Liu Shouwei Residence where Hai Geli temporarily stayed, they never came out again.
...
It is said that night, the Liu Residence was extremely noisy.
It is said that Hai Geli, the Great General, was injured.
It is said a deputy general was also stabbed blind in one eye.
They said...
This time it wasnât just rumors, this time it was true.
The next day, outside the Liu Shouwei Residence were several womenâs bodies.
Their bodies were naked, bloody and mutilated, full of whip scars and knife wounds, their death extremely horrific.
They hung upside down on a crooked tree, watched, cursed, and insulted by anyone.
Hai Geli, still feeling unsatisfied, called for wild dogs to be stationed around.
Wild dogs were not fed, they fed on blood and flesh, they gnawed bone...
In any case...
These young women, with their frail bodies, defended their last dignity.
No one laughed, no one insulted them.
Days later, with Hai Geliâs injury healed and his anger dispelled, he was busy fighting battles.
This matter was forgotten.
No one knew who retrieved these womenâs remains, carefully dressed them, and buried them in a protected location.
In the end, it was a good ending.
Their lively wishes surely will come true!
Before revenge and hatred, what does rank matter?
They came from humble origins, but they were not lowborn.
Some were born well, filled with a belly of books, full of knowledge, yet despicably reviled by all.
This person was... Liu Shouwei.
Liu Shouwei, to save his life, completely betrayed.
He served as Captain here for most of his life, familiar with every terrain, each blade of grass and tree.
Even if watching his homeland destroyed and people killed.
He could never do anything with courage.