The blood slowly settled down, and the singer’s 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, it’s enough, they should be content.
It’s 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 wasn’t 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 couldn’t die for nothing!
Weak women couldn’t defend their country, couldn’t 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 don’t 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 didn’t matter.
Sixteen years later, they would be oirans all over again, no, they wouldn’t 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 don’t want a handsome husband?"
The woman shook her head with a charming smile, then said proudly.
"Saying I don’t want it would be false, but outward appearance is just a shell, the most important thing is a harmonious understanding!"
"I just want someone who’s good to me, who’ll 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 couldn’t 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...
Lianlian’s 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 didn’t have the silver to go to school, how could it be her turn?
"Find a literate husband, I’ll bear him a few children!"
"Let the husband teach the children to read and write, each of them could read without spending silver!"
Hearing Lianlian’s simple and honest wish.
The few of them didn’t tease her as they usually did.
Instead, their eyes filled with tears, their noses souring.