Presently, Hua Zhu Yu was in a very awkward state. Her clothes had slipped from her shoulder, exposing half of her fair shoulder. Her fine black hair cascaded down, spreading out messily on the carpet.

  Da Qi dan Zhang Xi brought Hua Zhu Yu in front of Xiao Yin. Knowing resistance would only make her suspected as an a.s.sa.s.sin, she did not resist. Besides, she was no match for them at the moment.

  “Lift your head!” Xiao Yin’s deep and cold voice came from above her head, her heart was in chaos, would she be recognized?

  Xiao Yin, Zhang Xi and Da Qi had seen her before, but fortunately what they saw was not her real looks.

  Moreover, she deliberately dressed up tonight. Thinking of this, Hua Zhu Yu slowly looked up. A pair of bright pupils quietly looked toward the man before her who grasped upon her life and death. The broad-robed Xiao Yin was reclining on a chair in a languid att.i.tude, the deep purple pupils emitted captivating waves of light in the candlelight, but nevertheless unable to conceal their eerie coldness. He was staring at her!

  “a.s.sa.s.sin?” Xiao Yin stretched out an arm, his slender fingers lightly tapped on the long table beside him.

  “No” Hua Zhu Yu answered. Though soft, the tone of the voice was firm.

  Xiao Yin’s eyes narrowed in a smiling yet not smiling expression, the penetrating eyes trailed up Hua Zhu Yu’s fair shoulder to her slender neck and discernible delicate clavicle, lazily asked :

  “Prost.i.tute?”


  Your mother is the prost.i.tute! Hua Zhu Yu silently swore at him, yet a smile blossomed on her face, sweetly replied “Yes.”


  Under Xiao Yin’s burning stare, Hua Zhu Yu felt her face heating up, fortunately her face was thickly daubed with rouge, so no one took notice of that. Her slender, jade-like hand subconsciously raised, wanting to straighten her clothes, but halted halfway. As her “present ident.i.ty” was a prost.i.tute, such action would without doubt make her appear suspicious. Hua Zhu Yu unhurriedly lowered her hand. Secretly gritted her teeth. Xiao Yin, you better pray to Heaven, do not let you fall into my hand, or else I certainly will sell you into nian nu jiao of Liang Zhou (In modern times, Liang Zhou is called Wu Wei)where admitted male prost.i.tutes. Your this kind of looks is absolutely popular there.

  “Oh, (I) have to admit, your such trick actually has evoked Ben Dian Xia’s interest, but Ben Dian Xia has never touched prost.i.tutes, especially the likes of you, in the future, you better do not do this kind of scheme again.” Those deep and tranquil purple eyes swept over her face, he casually said “But, tonight Ben Dian Xia is surprisingly somewhat in the mood for an entertainment, do not know what skill(s) do you have, Ben Dian Xia wants to see.”


  Performing for him?!

  In fact, Hua Zhu Yu was very good at playing zither, playing qi, singing, dancing, horse-riding, wielding swords, and shooting. Her father had her learned those skills. It was only that all these years she did not have chance to show her skills to people. She only played zither or sang for herself.

  She had never thought the first time she showed her skills to people would be using ident.i.ty as a prost.i.tute and she was going to perform for the person who actually was responsible for her being a prost.i.tute – Xiao Yin. She was really unwilling. Though unwilling, she had to do it, otherwise who would believe she was a prost.i.tute.

  Thinking that there must be no zither in Xiao Yin’s barrack, she smiled and said “Your Highness, this humble servant has none other than playing zither, it is still listenable.” She wanted to see from where Xiao Yin was going to conjure up a zither?

  “Playing zither?” Xiao Yin’s long and narrow eyes sparkled in candlelight, just like dazzling amethyst ”Liu Feng, go bring Ben Dian Xia’s Rao Liang”


  “Yes” a black-clothed imperial bodyguard answered.

  After a moment, a zither was brought before her. Did not expect Xiao Yin really had zither, furthermore, it was a precious guqin (a seven-stringed zither). Hua Zhu Yu reached out to test its sound. Sure enough, the sound was distinct, clear and lingering, (she) had to admit, she was already attracted to this zither. Delicate fingers gently stroked the zither’s surface, lucid and exquisite pupils were l.u.s.trous, they emitted breathtaking splendor light. “Truly a good zither, worthy of the name Rao Liang(long resonance)!” she muttered.

  “Prost.i.tute, you also know this is a good zither?” Xiao Yin coldly said.

  “In the end do you can or cannot play zither, this is our Highness’s hard-to-get treasure, all say this zither’s sound is pleasant to hear, Ben Jiang Jun has never heard, you immediately play a, let our highness and we all listen” Da Qi shouted up.

  “That being the case, then your humble servant start playing right away, do not know what tune does Your Highness want to listen?” she extended her slender, jade-like fingers, resting them on the strings.

  These Northern Dynasty people how could understand the beauty of sound. In the past, a musician called Gong Ming Yi played a tune for a cow, but the cow kept its head down, focused its attention eating gra.s.s as usual. Tonight, she too, was like that Gong Ming Yi.

  “Play as you like, as long as not lascivious, corny tune!” Xiao Yin in his deep voice said.

  “Then, your humble servant plays a tune: “转应曲” (Sorry, I can’t translate these words to english, I fail to understand the meaning, I already asked my teachers, they tried to explain it to me, but I just didn’t get it T_T). Finished saying that, Hua Zhu Yu reached out and stroke the zither’s strings lightly.