022 Farewell, My Fair Lady

The opulence of the Du estate continued to testify to its status as the premier household in Huaining City. Along the long, winding corridors, birds chirped amidst fragrant flowers. The gardens were filled with evergreen plants, artificial hills, flowing streams, pavilions, and towers. To spend a lifetime in such a residence would undoubtedly be the greatest blessing of one’s life.

Wang Lanping followed Uncle Du toward the innermost courtyard of the Du estate. Along the way, groups of three or five servants patrolled with staves in hand, all bowing and scraping the moment they caught sight of the top scholar.

Before long, they arrived in front of a two-story pavilion. Wang Lanping was well-acquainted with the layout of the Du estate; this was Ningning’s boudoir.

Even before they reached the door, they could hear a series of increasingly frantic "clattering" sounds from within—the noise of porcelain and similar items shattering against the floor.

"Open the door! Open the door! Uncle Du, Nurse Li, Sanya, open the door for me! Where have you all died? Let me out!" Du Ningning’s wild and fiery voice followed, succeeded by yet another round of bowls and vases being smashed.

Uncle Du gave Wang Lanping an embarrassed smile. "The young mistress has been in there for two days. The master gave orders; with the chaos of war outside, he cannot allow her to go out and cause trouble."

Wang Lanping offered a faint smile. He understood Ningning too well. In her life, she had only ever been the one to lock others away, tease the servants, and bully whomever she pleased. Having never faced such constraints, this was truly difficult for her.

"Uncle Du, is that you? I heard you! Quick, quick, let me out! I promise I won’t tell my father. Hurry, I’ll reward you with ten taels of silver later!" Du Ningning, never one to let a chance for escape slip by, softened her tone.

Uncle Du walked a few steps toward the door and called out, "Young mistress, stop making a scene. Without the master’s word, how would I dare?"

"Then go call my father! Tell him I’m dying, that I can’t catch my breath!"

Uncle Du replied, "Young mistress, don’t talk nonsense. Your voice is louder than mine—you don’t sound like someone who can’t catch her breath. Just stop fighting the master. Behave yourself, let him see that you’ve calmed down, and once his anger fades, he will naturally let you out. Just stay put."

No sooner had Uncle Du finished speaking than another porcelain-shattering crash came from within, followed by the door being pounded with such force it seemed to shake. "Old man Du, let me tell you, if you don't open this door, the moment I get out, I will pull out your beard one hair at a time!" She was the type to flip her mood at the drop of a hat.

Uncle Du immediately covered his chin with his hand, shot a helpless look at Wang Lanping, bowed, and scurried away. If you can’t afford to offend them, you hide.

Wang Lanping chuckled, walked to the door, and gave a light cough. "Locked away and still so much fire? It seems I really should thank your father for calling off the engagement. I wouldn’t dare marry a girl who wants to pull out people's beards at every turn."

Silence fell inside for a moment, followed by Du Ningning’s voice. "Who? Who is outside? Brother Lanping? Is that you?"

Wang Lanping cradled his sword in his arms and leaned his back against the wall by the door, laughing. "Who else would dare to come see you at a time like this? Look at you; anyone who didn't know better would think you were tearing the house down from the inside."

Seeing that it was truly him, Du Ningning’s face lit up with joy, but she immediately pouted, puffed out her cheeks, and yelled at the door. "It’s all because of you! You said you’d marry me, then you changed your tune. You… you heartless man!"

"Heh!" Wang Lanping tapped the door with his sword hilt. "I’m wronged! It was your father who broke the engagement. Your father didn't agree; what could I do?"

The door was kicked from within, serving as her designated punching bag. "Then… then why didn't you insist? That shows your sincerity wasn't enough. If you didn't want to marry me, then why did you… why did you kiss me?"

Hearing this, Wang Lanping quickly stretched his neck to look around. Good heavens, she was actually shouting such secrets for the whole world to hear! Fortunately, this was the quietest part of the Du estate, and the servants and laborers stayed far away; no one would dare provoke this young mistress unless they were delivering food.

"Well, if that won’t work, when you get out, you can just kiss me back. If that’s not enough, kiss me twice. I don’t mind taking the loss." Wang Lanping continued to tease her. It was the first time he had laughed since the defense of Huaining began. From now on, in Ningning’s presence, such laughter would grow rarer with every instance. Perhaps there wouldn't even be a chance to meet again; once on the battlefield, human life was worthless.

Du Ningning shouted from inside, "You, you’re too evil! When I get out, I’m going to… I’m going to bite you to death!"

Wang Lanping laughed aloud. "You, you’d better focus on biting the door open first—that would be more practical."

"Wang Lanping, you big villain, you heartless man! You’re just like Chen Shimei from the opera!" Ningning shrieked.

Hearing this, Wang Lanping smirked and said, "Go ahead and shout. After all, I’m the only one in this courtyard."

At this, Du Ningning suddenly grew quiet. "Tell me, are you going to marry me or not?"

Wang Lanping sighed helplessly and tapped the door. "My dear young lady, it’s already difficult enough to talk through a door. Can’t we talk about something else?"

Du Ningning’s stubbornness flared again. "No."

Even through the door, Wang Lanping could imagine how high her little lip was curled. "Whether I marry or not isn't up to me; it depends on your father. I may be a top scholar now, but even if I haven't held the position for long, I’ve made a name for myself. Your father broke the engagement himself; I can’t very well beg him shamelessly, can I?"

Du Ningning smashed another vase; her household had plenty of such items. "But you’re also a general! You have soldiers! Why don't you surround my house with your troops and see if my father agrees!"

"Tsk, tsk!" Wang Lanping clicked his tongue. "My dear, you are truly filial, asking me to put a blade to your father’s throat to force him to give his daughter to me. A top scholar forcing a marriage? If that got out, how could I ever show my face? That’s too violent. I understand your desire to find a good man, but you can’t..."

Before Wang Lanping could finish, the door shook as if a magnitude-seven earthquake had struck. It rattled so hard it threatened to collapse, sending dust flying everywhere.

"Wang Lanping, you… you open this door! I’ll fight you to the death! This is too bullying! Open it! Open it! I’ll fight you!"

Wang Lanping stepped back a few paces. It looked like the door couldn't withstand such abuse, and he didn't want it to collapse on him.

"Heh, I won’t open it. Not even if I die. Just look at you—you’re such a pretty girl, but with this tantrum, I can imagine how twisted your face must be. Be careful, or it might stay that way, and then nobody will dare marry you," Wang Lanping said, shaking his head with a roguish air.

"I’m so angry, I’m so angry! I’m going to… I’m going to hang myself! I’ll run into the wall!"

If a woman’s beauty could be divided into two types, then Du Ningning’s willful, fiery, wild beauty was certainly one of them. With her willow-leaf eyebrows arched, teeth gritted, cheeks flushed red, crimson lips pouting, waist swaying, and chest heaving violently, the scene was enough to satisfy any man’s desire for conquest.

After listening to Ningning’s outburst, Wang Lanping’s playful expression shifted. He tapped the door and said softly, "Ningning, I… I have to go. I came today to say goodbye."

In one of the few restaurants in Huaining City still daring to stay open during the war, the lunch hour was desolate. The spacious three-story building stood empty, its dozens of tables unoccupied. It was understandable; with Huaining City in such a state, who had the appetite to eat?

Only in a private room on the top floor, near the window, could voices be heard. A dozen people were gathered inside—all of them, at a glance, were the wealthiest and most powerful figures in the city. The wine and dishes on the table had long since gone cold, yet they remained untouched. The door was tightly shut, and the atmosphere in the room was suffocating.

Someone spoke—it was Du Ming, the master of the Du estate and father of Du Ningning. "Well, everyone, say something. What are we to do?"

The tea merchant, Fourth Master Zhao, stroked the few hairs on his round, smooth chin. "What can we do? If the sky wants to rain or a mother wants to remarry, let it be."

The cotton merchant, Old Chen, slammed the table. "That’s easy for you to say! Do you think because you gave a few moldy buns to beggars last month, the Great Shun Army will spare you?"

As soon as these words were out, Fourth Master Zhao became the target of everyone’s ire. "Oh, look at you, playing the Bodhisattva. The buns you gave almost poisoned people to death! By that logic, I donated a sum of silver to the county magistrate just a few days ago to repair the yamen."

This, too, became a target for attack. "Right, you donated five taels of silver—aren't you afraid of being a laughingstock?"

*Bang!* Du Ming slammed the table. "Arguing! Arguing is useless! Haven't you seen how many corpses were carried down from the North Gate tower this morning? Once Huaining falls, which one of you will be able to escape? Is arguing here going to help?"

Fourth Master Zhao gulped, his eyes darting around. "Then… you come up with an idea. Among us, the Du family is the wealthiest. You were almost the father-in-law of the top martial scholar just a few days ago."

Du Ming grew anxious. If that word reached the ears of the Shun Army, he would be doomed. "Stop gloating! Do you think no one knows about the silver buried in your cellar?"

Fourth Master Zhao stiffened. "Wh-what are you talking about? Who buried silver? Master Du, tell us, what should we do? We’re all listening to you."

From the day Li Zicheng raised his banner of rebellion, there were two types of people he despised most: the corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty—whom he killed regardless of rank, including royals—and the wealthy. No matter how legitimate their wealth was, being rich was a crime. Death was the only option.

Having killed for so many years, the wealthy across the land lived in terror. Therefore, whenever Li Zicheng’s army arrived, it wasn't the officials who fled first, but the local wealthy families.

In the south, Li Zicheng had not yet arrived, and everyone only knew his name by reputation, assuming he only robbed people in the north and then left. Who would have thought he would suddenly appear in Huaining City? It was too late to run; the Feng Battalion had placed the city under martial law, and no one could get out.

For the wealthy to flee was not like the poor, who had nothing left but their lives. Take the Du household, for example: they owned eight shops in Huaining, five farms outside the city, and over three thousand acres of prime land, not to mention several residences. If he fled, Du Ming couldn't take any of this with him. He couldn't just abandon the assets his ancestors had spent generations accumulating.

Seeing everyone’s eyes fixed on him, Du Ming knew they were waiting for his decision.

"Fine!" Du Ming hardened his heart. "Since you’re all listening to me, then fine. It’s too late to run, and it looks like the city will fall within these next two days. I think we should gather all our stewards and guards from our estates tonight. I’ve seen the Feng Battalion; they only have a hundred or so men left. At midnight, we open the East Gate and welcome the Shun Army into the city. We’ll prepare some generous gifts—everyone needs to bleed a little and chip in. As long as they don't plunder our families, we won't care about the others. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned. It was too risky; heaven only knew if those bandits would take their silver one moment and plunder them the next.

"Speak up! Do you agree or not?" Du Ming was frantic. Since his family was the wealthiest, if the Shun Army were to plunder, he would be the first to suffer.

Fourth Master Chen said, "This… won’t this leave us with the charge of collaborating with bandits? That’s a capital offense."

Du Ming groaned, "That’s ancient history. Now, the Great Shun is the orthodoxy. We’re calling this 'welcoming the King’s army'."

The group seemed to agree, nodding their heads.

The antique dealer, Seventh Master Sun, stroked a wisp of his beard and nodded. "Yes, the Master’s words make sense. I think it’s feasible."

Before long, the proposal was passed by everyone. Everyone present contributed, pooling together two hundred thousand taels of silver as a "comfort fee" for the army. It was agreed that at midnight, they would gather their guards and open the East Gate to welcome the Shun Army into the city.

Just as they were discussing the details of the plan, a commotion erupted on the street below.

Du Ming pushed open the window. The street, which had been empty, was now packed with people, many of whom were carrying bundles and baggage on their backs.