An Unseemly Entrance

This is such a hassle—I’ll just go out like this!

After a bout of tidying up, Xia Qian remained dissatisfied with her appearance. She deliberated for a moment, then decided to simply wear the same outfit she had on when she left Willow Lane, appearing on stage in her “factory settings.”

Around her, the male courtesans busied themselves with their preparations. Some dusted pearl powder onto their faces, while one young man’s blush was so heavy it looked as though he’d just received twenty slaps. Another meticulously adorned his long hair with hairpins, resembling a vase artfully arranged with flowers.

“Newcomer, are you really not going to tidy yourself up?”

The man who had earlier handed her the faded, long gown approached, his tone akin to someone urging another to write their last will.

“If the nobles find you unkempt later, they might just turn around and ‘award’ your portion to the female soldiers outside the camp as a prize…”

“Thanks,” Xia Qian replied.

She tugged at her white gown, which was wrinkled like a salted vegetable. The collar was askew, revealing a sliver of her collarbone.

“But do I look like someone who can serve others? Besides, if the nobles truly choose me, what kind of deep-seated grudge must they harbor?”

Upon hearing this, the male courtesans exchanged glances. Some shook their heads with a sigh, while others secretly wiped away tears.

From a corner, a whisper as faint as a mosquito’s buzzing could be heard:

“The new guy must know there’s no hope of survival, so he’s given up.”

“It’s the ultimate despair, where the heart dies. I won’t bother dressing up either; we’re all going to die anyway…”

“No, look, the new guy isn’t crying like you brothers. I’d say he’s deliberately making himself look ugly so the nobles won’t pick him, giving us a chance instead…”

The whispering crowd paused, suddenly enlightened.

Their gazes, when they next fell upon Xia Qian, were filled with profound respect, as if they were looking at a Bodhisattva about to bravely face martyrdom.

Xia Qian, lost in her own thoughts, felt a shiver run down her spine as several pairs of eyes fixated on her. She turned her head, squinting, utterly bewildered as to why everyone, who had been so crestfallen moments ago, now wore expressions of mourning for the departed.

Not much time was allotted for preparations before the tent flap was once again flung open with a sharp whoosh.

The supervising female soldier, holding a torch, bellowed, “What are you dawdling for?! Line up and get out!”

The male courtesans’ faces instantly turned stark white, much like condemned criminals hearing the executioner’s signal. The chilling aura of dread could not be concealed, no matter how much rouge they had applied.

Following the female soldier, Xia Qian exited the tent at the tail end of the line.

The autumn night in the main army camp offered no warmth. The wind, laden with grit, burrowed into their necks, forcing everyone to instinctively hunch their shoulders.

The male courtesans ahead, their skirts adorned with bells, jingled and clanged like a mobile percussion band.

After walking a short distance, they halted before a large tent. The leading female soldier swept her torch over each person, conducting a final headcount.

When it was Xia Qian’s turn, the torchlight flared, pressing close to her nose.

“You brat, why are you in such an unseemly state?!”

A vein pulsed on the female soldier’s forehead, and she was about to erupt when a messenger rushed over.

“The General is urging everyone! What are you waiting for?! Let me take them in quickly!”

“This… ugh!”

The female soldier shot Xia Qian a venomous glare, gritting out a “fend for yourself,” before pushing the line forward, allowing the messenger to lead them into the commander’s tent.

“Keep your heads bowed! Do not presumptuously look directly at the esteemed adults! Don’t say I didn’t warn you; any disrespectful act, and losing your head will be the least of your worries!”

The messenger lowered his voice, delivering a stern warning, then raised a hand to urge everyone to enter the hall on their own.

They had barely rounded the gilded screen, painted with tigers, when warm candlelight, mingled with the scent of wine, wafted over them. Having been instructed not to look up, Xia Qian could only stare at the coiling serpent patterns on the carpet.

Out of the corner of her eye, however, she could glimpse the bejeweled noblewomen seated at the banquets on either side. Perched haughtily, they exuded an air of high status, clearly all officials of great influence.

Before them were individual dining tables, featuring a rustic banquet style with incense burners and lavish food, which Xia Qian felt evoked the impression of the Qin and Han dynasties from historical accounts. A quick, downward glance confirmed that they were primarily middle-aged noblewomen—in short, old aunties.

Xia Qian couldn’t help but curve her mouth into an inverted U-shape. Not only were some of them around her buddies’ mothers’ ages, but one or two of these wealthy ladies could even be her grandmothers. If she had to serve them wine and then cater to their needs in their boudoirs at night, it would be no better than the violent hell promised by the female soldiers. Being thrown into the camp for abuse was physical torment, but being embraced and doted upon by unfamiliar old women was psychological torture.

However, Xia Qian also sensed that the gazes of these noble, wealthy women were similarly filled with undisguised disdain. Each of them looked at the men as if a housewife were picking through rotten vegetables at the market. In a way, wasn’t that a good thing?

Xia Qian pursed her lips, her gaze stealthily following the brocade carpet forward. The female general at the head seat held a wine goblet in one hand, her fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders like spilled ink.

Her bronze-toned arm muscles flexed and rippled with each movement of raising her cup, displaying an aesthetically pleasing curve that conveyed the vibrant, powerful beauty of youth, much like a Valkyrie from mythology crushing Titans. Beneath her short, light armor, her explosive figure, a beautifully sculpted physique reminiscent of a realist statue, almost made it impossible to look away.

Xia Qian was momentarily lost in admiration, nearly colliding with the male courtesan who had suddenly stopped in front of him. Only when they had dispersed and stood in their assigned places did Xia Qian clearly see the seats near the commander’s position.

Upon realizing that Brother Yan was on the left, Xia Qian inexplicably felt a slight sense of security. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t anticipated that her Willow Lane colleague not only knew the General but was also an honored guest of such a prominent figure. If that were the case, Brother Yan should at least be able to say a word or two on their behalf, right?

What Xia Qian had even less expected was on the right. Why was Jiang Buwei here too? The business empress who had just this morning offered to keep her was actually present?

Xia Qian couldn’t resist lifting her head. In that brief moment, as if by some strange twist of fate, their eyes met. Though only for an instant, Xia Qian still read astonishment in the business empress’s gaze from across the room.

So… the rich young lady truly came by coincidence?

Just as she was wondering what kind of bizarre situation this was, a sudden sneer came from an official at an adjacent seat, her shrill voice almost deafening Xia Qian. “Ah, yes, we all know the General has always valued etiquette and would never neglect us. Even in a military camp, she would surely be courteous and thorough. Yet, I never imagined that someone so ill-mannered below would fail to understand the General’s painstaking efforts and refuse to cooperate with her.”

The sharp-tongued official raised an eyebrow, pointing her pointed chin at Xia Qian. “Look, some even dare to enter the hall dressed as if attending a funeral.”

Xia Qian suppressed the urge for her mouth to twitch. I’d like to pray for ancestral blessings right now, but I can’t even find a place to pray after transmigrating to this cursed place—how about I pour you a cup of wine later as an offering?

Before she could finish her silent retort, the irritable, plump official on the other side slammed her cup on the table and began to rant furiously, “Indeed, indeed! This child is far too presumptuous, truly inhuman! However, being disrespectful to us is secondary. The most important thing is that he has ruined the General’s sincere hospitality! He should be dragged out, whipped, then finely chopped into minced meat to feed the dogs!”

Watching these two, acting as if they had conspired, one playing the stern face and the other the fierce one, Xia Qian was almost amused to the point of laughter. Well, no need to pray to my ancestors; they’re planning to send me directly to meet them, aren’t they?

However, she could tell that this attack was not directed solely at him, but rather at the General herself. Though she didn’t know the precise reason, these gossips were seizing an opportunity, using him as an excuse to find fault with the General and undermine the important figure on the commander’s seat. Xia Qian was certainly not so naive as to miss such a crude and foolish maneuver.

However—although it differed slightly from his expectations, it wasn’t a major issue. With this thought, a new idea suddenly sparked in her mind.