The Empress’s Gigolo

Chapter 244: An Erhu Rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance”

Translator: YHHH Editor: Book_Hoarder

Ren Baqian heard the barking noises of dogs from a distance away and knew that the police had arrived. Their speed was very fast, much faster than what he expected.

There was no telling whether the police were quick at solving the case or whether the Jin family was powerful.

Even though he didn’t really set anything up, but, he did change a few cars along the way. For the police to track his route, they would probably still need to spend some time.

Ren Baqian sat on the stone and pondered, he couldn’t just leave this way, right? He should leave a good reputation after he left. Even after he left, he still had to let others know that he was once here. As he thought of this, he took a pen and paper from his bag and wrote on a slip of paper. Then, he disappeared before the other party could spot him.

A long time later, a team of police arrived right behind the police dogs. They saw a piece of paper and the handwriting resembled something written with a chicken claw. It took some time before they were able to figure out the words, “My comrades, it has been tough on you.”

Upon seeing what was written on the slip of paper, everyone flew into a rage and gnashed their teeth. This culprit was indeed too bold and arrogant. He was practically provoking the police.

Thereafter, the police dogs only did their rounds nearby but couldn’t pick up the scent anymore. It was as if that person completely vanished from that area.

A few hundred police officers went uphill and searched for another five days. Ultimately, they were unable to find a single trace of that person.

Just that piece of paper made everyone grit their teeth in anger, vowing to bring this guy to justice.

…

“Sigh!” Ren Baqian let out long moans and short gasps upon returning to Pingle Park. He threw his things on the floor, took out the erhu and played a well-known piece “Trouble Caused by the Moon”. When the imperial bodyguards heard his singing, they reacted as though they had seen a ghost. [“Trouble Caused by the Moon” – a hit song from Phil Zhang, a Taiwanese singer]

“I admit that the trouble is caused by the erhu, this night sky is so beautiful and you’re so gentle…” [The writer had Ren Baqian replace the original lyrics ‘moon’ with ‘erhu’]

After singing one song, Ren Baqian finally felt that he had somewhat alleviated his pent-up frustrations. Neither did he piss nor provoke anyone, yet he had to had to give up his career and family as he became a fugitive. He had to hide in the mountains for two days, eat marinated beef whenever he was hungry, and drink sorghum wine whenever he was thirsty. It could be said that he was miserable.

After sighing for a long time, Ren Baqian went to wash his face, changed into a new set of clothes and ran to see the empress.

“Your Majesty, the clothes which you have left at my apartment, are all gone.” Ren Baqian sighed.

The empress’s eyebrows immediately straightened. There were still quite a few of those clothes which she liked. Moreover, who dared to touch her belongings?

“Even the apartment is gone.”

“What’s going on?” the empress asked coldly. At present, it could be heard from her tone that she wasn’t happy. She was actually extremely unhappy.

“I was careless. I didn’t expect the other party to act again after that previous attack attempt, and furthermore, he came directly to my doorstep. I killed the other party in the fit of helplessness and have since become a fugitive. Now, even though I have a home, I can’t return to it. I still have to hide going from place to place. Fortunately, I saw a musical instrument store when I was fleeing and thought of the promise which I have made with the empress. I didn’t dare to lose this even when I was fleeing for my life. Luckily, I have made it back peacefully. However, I’m afraid that I would be hunted down once I’m back on Earth again.”

A look of grievance appeared on Ren Baqian’s face. It was time to take out the erhu. Finally, he didn’t forget to bring it along with him this time.

The empress got all soft-hearted upon seeing him. She then said, “Forget it, it’s good that you are back. The next time, I’ll go to Earth with you. We shall see what they can do.”

At this moment, Ren Baqian wasn’t in the right mood to play “Pomp and Circumstance” on the erhu. Instead, he was in the mood to play “Moon Reflected in the Second Spring”.

Fortunately, the empress didn’t raise this issue as she was being very considerate towards him.

Ren Baqian’s mood finally turned for the better after two days. After all, things had already reached such a stage, and it was useless to sigh anymore.

At this moment, being a criminal wasn’t something severe to Ren Baqian.

He could teleport once every two to three days. The next time he appeared on Earth, ten days would have passed over there, and it would be difficult for the police to arrest him. In addition, even if he was caught, as long as he wasn’t shot dead on the spot, he could bring the empress along with him to break out of prison when the time comes.

It was just that he couldn’t stay in his country anymore. He could only go overseas.

Actually, there were still other methods. For example, go to a certain country to do cosmetic surgery and change how he looked.

However, when the empress would see that “his entire face was beyond recognition”, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee what kind of reaction will she give.

Ren Baqian thought for a while and felt that he should continue to flee for his life with this face of his.

On the third day, Ren Baqian and the empress sat in garden, with the sun shining brightly in the morning.

In the distance, Qing Yuan, Hong Luan, and two imperial bodyguards were looking curiously at the queer-looking object in Ren Baqian’s hand. They were constantly wondering what he was going to do with that.

The empress was also full of expectations for it.

She also didn’t know how an erhu performance was like. However, Ren Baqian said that he wanted to perform for her and she was looking forward to it tremendously. Also, she felt a tinge of sweetness in her heart.

Ren Baqian adjusted his posture and his face was full of confidence as he had painstakingly practiced the “Xiao Hu Xian” version of “Pomp and Circumstance”. After which, he took a deep breath…

[“Xiao Hu Xian”, a user from Bilibili who uploads awesome erhu videos. Bilibili is a video sharing website themed around animation, comic, and game {ACG} based in China, where users can submit, view, and add commentary subtitles on videos.]

Upon pulling the erhu, the sound of faint breathing that was produced immediately gave the empress goosebumps all over her body. Her eyes also widened.

The lower abdomen of the imperial bodyguards tightened as well. They looked as if they had seen a ghost, what was this plaything?

It looked as though the erhu in Ren Baqian’s hands had a life of its own. The sound of faint breathing continued one after another. It sounded devilish.

If one had to evaluate it, it was flirty, simply too flirtatious.

Ren Baqian’s fingers swirled in the air and he was completely enchanted. Everyone in the surrounding was dumbstruck.

After four seconds, the sound of faint breathing was produced again.

The empress exerted strength in her hand and immediately, she grabbed a piece of the stone table in front of her. But, completely didn’t realize what just happened.

She was really stunned by his performance.

Besides being stunned, she was also at somewhat of a loss.

She didn’t experience such a huge fluctuation in her state of mind even when she was confronting the people at the Nine Pavilions. At this moment, it was as if a landslide and tsunami had occurred in her peaceful heart, which was like the calm lake. In the wake of the sound produced by the erhu, she wasn’t able to even calm down for a moment.

Blue veins began to erupt on the empress’s forehead as she continued listening to the sound of faint breathing produced by the erhu.

Qing Yuan and Hong Luan were already dumbfounded since earlier on. They stared at Ren Baqian with their mouths wide open and had a look of horror on their faces.

As for the few imperial bodyguards, the expression on their faces seemed as if they were constipated. Also, they were trembling from head to toe.

Before Ren Baqian could even finish performing the piece he was proud of, fragmented stones and gravel were already falling from the table.

The empress subconsciously used her fingertips and grabbed the surface of the table repeatedly. As such, a small portion of the 15-centimeter-thick stone table was nowhere to be seen.

At last, Ren Baqian only played half of the piece and came to an end spontaneously. He gave a look that he wanted to continue playing it. It was because the “Xiao Hu Xian” version ended over here. It was said that Xiao Hu Xian’s neighbors smashed the doors and burst in, and so naturally, there wasn’t the second part of the piece.

Ren Baqian felt that he had never performed so smoothly as well as gotten so engrossed in playing before. His performance today had practically exceeded his standard. He opened his eyes and looked at the empress as if he was presenting a treasure to her.

Eh, Your Majesty, why is your forehead filled with blue veins?

The empress snatched over the erhu and swung it as if it was a concealed weapon to an imperial bodyguard who was dozens of meters away. She fumed with rage between gritted teeth. “Suppress this item below the plaza in front of the palace.”

The empress’s teenage heart shattered like glass, even super glue wasn’t able to glue the pieces back together.

It was as though the two imperial bodyguards were given an amnesty. Without saying a single word, they carried the erhu and dashed out.

Ren Baqian had nothing to say.