Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace

Chapter 133: The Court Courtesan’s Circumstances

That topic should be set aside for now.

Aunty Yang, do you know who that court courtesan is?

Yang shook her head at Yui Meis query.

The court courtesans are under the jurisdiction of the Jiaofang, after all.

As I thought.

Yui Mei nodded when she heard Yangs answer. 

Based on what she knew about Chinese dramas, Jiaofang referred to the institution of ancient Chinese dance and music in charge of teaching and managing the courtesans.

The courtesans in this place were also governed by them, apparently.

In that case, theres nothing I can do but wait, maybe we can meet again coincidentally, I guess.

That was what Yui Mei thought.

Still, I dont really have any idea who that court courtesan is.

Is that so?

Yang said those words, and Yui Meis eyes widened at her response. Yang nodded before pulling a nearby chair. She sat down next to Yui Mei.

Well, theres a pipa player that is favored by the emperor. She never appeared in banquets again, so people are speculating about what happened to her, and it has become a rumor.

Yang poured herself some hot water from the kettle on top of the table and drank it.

Pipa, huh.

Yui Mei muttered, before putting her hand on her chin in contemplation.

The pipa was a stringed instrument similar to the guitar of her previous world.

If shes a pipa player then that would explain the calluses on her fingers.

Heh, she must be good if the emperor likes her. So, you said shes alone in the dumping site? How odd.

On the other hand, Mei Na tilted her head, perplexed at Yangs story.

What she pointed out was quite reasonable.

Maybe the rumored person wasnt sick for a long time, requiring her to be absent, but she just suddenly disappeared?

Yang nodded at Yui Meis question.

I suppose so. If that courtesan had that fng sh bng sickness that Xiao Mei mentioned, then itll be understandable. A first-class performer will never want to expose her wretched state.

Yang sighed after saying those words.

Mmm, so thats how it is

The situation finally made some sense, but Yui Mei didnt feel settled.

Still

If she was the emperors favorite musician, she must have been quite a beauty, or else excellent at her job.

However Yui Mei knew this was such a rude thing, and of course it didnt seem appropriate for her to even think about it that girl wasnt even that beautiful.

It was even different from the plain faces that the emperor preferred.

There were also different kinds of being homely.

In that case, then the emperor probably favored her not because of her face but for her talent.

Is that person really an excellent musician?

Yui Mei wasnt talented in music even in her previous life, so she wouldnt be able to distinguish whats great and whats not. Nevertheless, she still wanted to hear her play.

Its because listening to music here was considered to be a precious experience that one could only have by inviting a musician, unlike in her previous world where speakers blared all kinds of music any time.

She wondered whether her arthritis was that bad.

If it was mild, she hoped that she would try her best to recover so she could play the pipa once again.

It was the day after their conversation.

Yui Mei was also cleaning the same spot for today.

Maybe it was more appropriate to say that she was assigned to this place for the meantime.

And just like that day, she also gathered the leaves, and she went to the dumping site in order to dispose them.

Ah!

Yui Mei unwittingly raised her voice in alarm.

The woman from yesterday was there again.

She was staring blankly into space, but she stood up when Yui Meis figure caught her eye.

Hey, I was waiting for you.

Yui Mei was stupefied when the woman suddenly declared that.

Really?

Yui Mei had angered her yesterday, prompting her to leave in a huff. Yui Mei thought she didnt want to see her again.

It was such an unexpected situation. The woman smiled faintly.

I came here to give thanks for the sweet potato. I felt full thanks to that.

Yui Mei scrunched her brows at the womans words.

Shes already full with just that teeny tiny sweet potato?

It didnt seem like the woman was thanking her for a tasty snack.

Yui Mei looked dubious, so the woman continued on.

Theres no decent food around here after all.

Yui Mei heard something that she couldnt ignore by all means.

I asked around about you are you perhaps the emperors favorite musician they were talking about?

Yui Mei tentatively asked, and the woman drily laughed.

A musician who cant play is just a worthless thing.

She said those self-deprecating words with a faraway look in her eyes.

Girl playing the pipa.

T/N: Putting some notes here, I have to retain their Chinese reading because the words are being explained in the chapter ? 

tong feng gout

fng sh bng arthritis

Jiaofang Ancient Chinese institution for musical arts and dancing