Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 56 I am not ill, but I am lustful.

Sun Shiwan's words stunned everyone present, and the room fell silent instantly. Sun Shixiu looked at her sister in astonishment. Empress Zhou tugged at her sleeve, and Zhu Youjian glanced at her. The two stared at each other silently, neither willing to give in.

Seeing the atmosphere getting worse, Zhang Yan quickly tried to comfort Zhu Youjian, saying, "It was I who suggested that His Majesty take more concubines. His Majesty didn't want to waste money on the selection of concubines, so..."

Zhang Yan didn't know what "so" meant either, and she looked at Zhu Youjian with some helplessness.

"I am lustful," Zhu Youjian said sullenly.

Sun Shixiu chuckled, then quickly covered her mouth, causing the other women to burst into laughter as well.

Zhang Yan anxiously gave Sun Shiwan several meaningful glances. Sun Shiwan sighed slightly and softened her tone, saying, "I misspoke just now, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"I forgive you for your crime," Zhu Youjian said, taking the opportunity to relent.

Whew! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the music gradually shifted from slow to lively, and the dancers of the Imperial Music Bureau stepped barefoot on the gold bricks, their silver ankle bells jingling crisply with each dance step. The dancers wore only thin veils, the fabric of which was as sheer as cicada wings, and the phoenix patterns on their waists were faintly visible in the candlelight.

Their skirts were deliberately split open on both sides, and as they danced, their jade-like feet emerged from the hem, revealing their buttocks. However, instead of being shy about the sudden exposure, they became even bolder in their movements.

When they arrived, the palace eunuchs told them that this was their chance to climb into the emperor's bed and escape their misery. So everyone was doing their best to present themselves in hopes of catching the emperor's eye.

At the climax of the dance, the twelve dancers suddenly bloomed like lotus flowers, their outer silk veils slipping away to reveal peony blossoms outlined in gold paint on their backs, their snow-white shoulders and necks exposed as they turned. They bent low, revealing large swaths of skin, causing Zhu Youjian to gasp for breath.

As the music faded, the dancers knelt on the ground, their faces upturned, some shy, some with seductive eyes, looking at the emperor with anticipation.

The twelve dancers were all exquisite beauties, handpicked from the most beautiful, each with their own unique charm. Zhu Youjian was somewhat dazzled by the sight. He glanced at Sun Shiwan out of the corner of his eye, a little embarrassed, but Sun Shiwan turned her head away with a dark expression and remained silent.

Zhu Youjian really wanted to say, "Only children make choices; I want to take on twelve people at once."

But he knew that if he did that, he would definitely be stopped. Even if no one stopped him, he wouldn't be able to get up tomorrow. He might accidentally become the second unlucky emperor to kill himself, after his cheap father, the "One-Month Emperor".

"You're the one." Zhu Youjian pointed to the side of the line and picked the dumbest one, because she missed a beat while dancing and was now so nervous that she was curling her toes.

"What's your name?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"Your Majesty, this woman's name is Li Qiuniang."

Zhu Youjian frowned slightly; the name sounded like a stage name she had adopted after entering the brothel. However, he didn't immediately ask Li Qiuniang about her real name, since prostitutes often used stage names to conceal their true identities. Zhu Youjian beckoned to her, signaling her to serve him, bringing him tea and wine.

Li Qiuniang stood up, and the remaining eleven dancers looked at her with either envy or jealousy. Some of them even burst into tears, while she herself felt somewhat bewildered.

The empresses and concubines began to scrutinize the woman who was about to join their large family, wondering why the dog emperor had chosen her from among so many courtesans.

Facing the scrutinizing gazes of everyone, Li Qiuniang trembled uncontrollably, her long eyelashes fluttering, tears welling up in her eyes. To make matters worse, she ended up kneeling next to Sun Shiwan.

Everyone held their breath in suspense, but the anticipated difficulties didn't materialize. Sun Shiwan scrutinized Li Qiuniang for a while, and suddenly her anger vanished. "Is this the legendary 'I feel sorry for her'?!" Sun Shiwan thought to herself.

Li Qiuniang didn't know why she was crying, but the tears wouldn't stop. She tried to force a smile, following the instructions of the brothel matron, but tears were already streaming down her face.

"Oh, don't be afraid, wipe your face." Sun Shiwan handed a handkerchief to Li Qiuniang.

"This servant thanks Your Highness," Li Qiuniang said, her voice trembling with tears.

Zhu Youjian tilted his head and looked at the scene, unsure whether she was really scared to tears or if her skill was so high that even Wanwan couldn't tell.

Seeing that it was almost time, the two empresses and two concubines made excuses to leave, leaving only the dog emperor and his new lover present.

Before leaving, Sun Shiwan couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty should prioritize state affairs and moderate your indulgence in sensual pleasures."

Zhu Youjian squinted at her and said, "Wanwan, are you jealous?!"

"I didn't!" Sun Shiwan said angrily, then turned her back on Zhu Youjian and left quickly.

Li Qiuniang became increasingly nervous, her fingers gripping the barely covering clothing so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the force.

"Send them away. Don't send them back. Keep them in the palace," Zhu Youjian instructed Wei Zhongxian, feeling somewhat guilty. Wei Zhongxian understood immediately and promised to properly house them in a secluded palace courtyard, ensuring the empresses wouldn't easily notice.

At this moment, Li Qiuniang was still wearing her Hu Ji dance dress, and the bells on her ankles had not been removed. Zhu Youjian played with her feet, looking at her toes, which were round and smooth like grapes, and had a thought of taking a bite. In the end, he did not do so because he was too ashamed.

He was about to call a palace maid to clean up the mess and take Qiu Niang down to wash up when, unexpectedly, Li Qiu Niang got up from the bed, knelt down in front of him with a thud, and prostrated herself before him.

With a trembling voice, she pleaded, "Your Majesty, please save my sister's life!"

Zhu Youjian was dumbfounded. This was too typical; he never expected that sleeping could actually uncover a wrongful accusation. Although Zhu Youjian wasn't an upright official, seeking his help was certainly more effective than dealing with these so-called upright officials. Therefore, Zhu Youjian helped Li Qiuniang up and asked her what her grievance was.

However, there was no injustice involved. Li Qiuniang's original name was Li Qiuyue. She was actually the youngest daughter of Li Chunye, the Assistant Military Governor of the Capital Garrison who was imprisoned last year. This old man was almost sixty years old, yet he had such a young daughter. It seems he had enjoyed a lot of entertainment and debauchery.

After Li Chunye was imprisoned, his female relatives were sent to the brothel. His former colleagues and friends not only failed to take care of his family, but instead, in the name of justice, they took pride in defiling his wife and daughters. Li Qiuniang's sister thus became a plaything of this group, being repeatedly raped and devastated, leaving her physically and mentally broken.

Li Qiuniang was destined for the same fate, but her appearance was more outstanding, and she was sold at a high price. The people of the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) hoped to train her to be even more outstanding before selling her again.

Zhu Youjian was somewhat angry. Although he knew that the Jiaofangsi was corrupt, he did not expect it to be so despicable, treating human life as worthless.

A prostitute is a prostitute; prostitutes sell their art but not their bodies. The Jiaofangsi was a proper ninth-rank government office under the Ministry of Rites, originally established to promote rites and music. However, he learned from Li Qiuniang that "the establishment of the Jiaofangsi was actually a humiliation that would lead to death."

Although the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) had an official rule of "selling art, not sex," it actually forced female musicians into prostitution. Officials could summon female musicians at any time through the Jiaofangsi's roster, and even circulated the list as gossip in the streets. If they resisted, they would be abused and beaten, repeatedly humiliated, or even tortured to death, and no one would investigate the cause of death.

Zhu Youjian summoned Wei Zhongxian and instructed him to first bail out the person to avoid any unforeseen circumstances and subsequent regret. He also ordered him to collect evidence of illegal activities by the officials of the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), so that he could find a pretext to completely bring the Jiaofangsi under the control of the inner court.

(End of this chapter)