I Became the Devil Queen's Heart Demon

Chapter 549 - 214: In a Journey of 3 People, Surely There Is My Senior Sister! Ye Henshui’s Wonderful Moment!

Seeing the fear in Xu Ling’er’s eyes, Yu’er already had the answer in her heart.

After the Xu family’s incident, all those involved were executed, the men exiled, and the womenfolk, including her, were sent together to the Imperial Music Bureau.

Overnight, they fell from their noble status as ladies and gentry to become women of the dust who sold smiles and poured drinks.

Such a vast disparity was like falling from the clouds into a bottomless abyss.

By comparison, Yu’er’s situation was relatively better.

After all, her beauty and figure were top-notch, she had some knowledge of the four arts, and with her identity as a Miss of the Xu family, she was cultivated as the main attraction by the Imperial Music Bureau, becoming an Elegant Courtesan who sold her art but not her body.

However, this was only temporary.

Ultimately, she was merely a commodity to be bought and sold, lacking any real autonomy.

Yu’er realized that to survive in this place that devours people without leaving bones, she needed to cling to a sufficiently thick leg.

So, when the Princely Heir found her, she thought her chance had come.

After all, in this Tiandu City, whose leg could be thicker than that of the Great Yuan Imperial Family?

It was only after witnessing the Princely Heir’s brutal and tyrannical methods that Yu’er realized she had jumped from one pit of fire into another.

But by then, she had no room to retreat; the Princely Heir used the lives of the Xu family women as a threat, forcing her to work for him, becoming a planted agent in the Imperial Music Bureau for the Prince Yu Mansion.

Until that day she met Chen Mo and her fate was completely rewritten...

Yu’er stood up and reached to open Xu Ling’er’s collar. As the long skirt fell, she was stunned by the scene before her.

Xu Ling’er’s body was covered in scars, with hardly a patch of unmarked skin. Besides whip marks, there were scars from needles and tongs, all looking shocking!

"Why?"

Yu’er clenched her fists, her eyes faintly trembling, "The Princely Heir clearly promised me that as long as I helped him, he would ensure you wouldn’t suffer..."

Xu Ling’er whispered, "We don’t have any skills, and we don’t want to sell ourselves, so we can only do some odd jobs. If we don’t finish within the specified time, we will be punished... Originally, after Miss became Oiran, the situation improved a lot, but recently the instructor’s attitude suddenly changed, the workload increased, and even without sleep, we couldn’t finish..."

The Imperial Music Bureau is a subordinate institution under the Ministry of Rites, with very simple internal ranks. The highest official is called "Fengluan," a Standard Ninth Rank position, overseeing all affairs within the bureau.

Below them are the Secondary Ninth Rank positions of Left and Right Shao Dance and Music Department, responsible for training dancing girls and musicians, respectively.

But these are essentially idle titles; the real managers are those called instructors.

In essence, these instructors belong to "service," have no rank, and hold a very low status, seen as no different from lowly people in the eyes of those high-ranking officials.

However, for the girls here, the instructors hold the power of life and death over them.

If they disobey, they are punished; sometimes the beatings are so severe they result in death, and it’s common for several girls to "commit suicide" each month, though no one bothers to investigate how they really died.

After all, who cares about the life or death of a woman of humble origin?

Unless one can endure like Yu’er and bring profit to the Imperial Music Bureau, they can only live somewhat decently.

After a brief silence, Xu Ling’er continued, "I overheard Instructor Dong chatting with others, and it seems that it was Lord Fengluan who specifically targeted the Xu family girls..."

Upon hearing this, Yu’er’s gaze deepened.

They had no dealings with Lord Fengluan, and there was no reason for him to make a big fuss over a few women of the dust.

There was only one reason...

It was the Princely Heir’s arrangement.

"Is the Princely Heir reminding me that the lives of the Xu family are in his hands?"

"Could it be that my recent performance has displeased him? After all, I have never proactively reported the master’s movements to him..."

"No, if that were the case, he could have exerted direct pressure on me, there’s no need for these convolutions... What exactly is the Princely Heir’s intent?"

Yu’er furrowed her brow and pondered silently.

Xu Ling’er entwined her fingers, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Miss, I am still managing, but those like Auntie..."

"What happened to Auntie?" Yu’er asked urgently.

Seeing as the conversation had reached this point, Xu Ling’er was no longer reluctant to speak and said, "They’re already old, and with the heavy work and corporal punishment, they’ve all fallen sick."

"Among them, Auntie Liu is in the worst condition."

"Since Miss Ruoyan... after her hanging, Auntie Liu’s mental state has been poor, and now she’s been bedridden for days, refusing food and water, and her condition is worsening..."

Under her sleeve, Yu’er’s slender hand suddenly clenched, and she bit down hard on her teeth, "Why are you telling me this just now?"

Xu Ling’er shook her head and said, "The aunties told me not to say anything. Since Mr. Chen is quite fond of you, you have a chance to leave this accursed place; they don’t want to hold you back..."

Yu’er remained silently pensive.

As the number one Oiran of the Imperial Music Bureau, she was like a hen that laid golden eggs, and no matter the amount of silver offered, the higher-ups would not easily let her go.

Furthermore, if she stayed, she would at least have some support.

If even she left, then the women of the Xu family would truly have no way to survive.

Thud—

At this moment, Xu Ling’er’s knees went weak, and she knelt directly on the ground.

"Miss..."

"Ling’er, what are you doing?"

Yu’er reached out to help her up, but Ling’er stubbornly refused to rise, her voice trembling as she said, "Miss, you have such a good relationship with Mr. Chen, could you ask him to help Auntie Liu... If she’s not taken to the doctor soon, I’m afraid she won’t last a few more days."