TRT – Chapter 9 Majestic on All Sides

It was time to start raking in money. Gazing at the distant sky, I silently told myself: Since I want to go back so badly, what’s the use of just wishing? I should act! Let’s begin the first step of my counter-transmigration plan—

Funding Preparation Stage~

“Hmph!” Behind me, Qingqing let out a disdainful snort while elegantly fanning me with a gauzy palace fan. “And here I thought you were some great figure! You came storming in making such a fuss, and after chatting with our Minmin for half an hour, you only rewarded her with five hundred taels! Do you think our Minmin is just some street-corner courtesan like Cuihua?”

Across from us, Old Master Wan almost dropped his teacup, his face flushing red with embarrassment. Qingqing gave him a scornful sideways glance before turning back to me. “Sister Minmin, you’re just too soft-hearted. You don’t even know how to turn guests away! With your current status, only refined, generous gentlemen like Master Su deserve to see you. Those random riffraff from the bottom rungs of society—just seeing them dirties your eyes!”

That was harsh. The veins on Old Master Wan’s forehead bulged instantly, and he looked ready to slam the table. Just then, Xiaotao gently tugged at Qingqing’s sleeve and softly said, “Qingqing~ how could you speak like that? Quickly apologize to Master Wan! Everyone has their difficulties. I’m sure Master Wan truly cherishes our Minmin. Perhaps he just isn’t flush with cash right now, or maybe his household keeps a tight rein on his purse. How could we force him?”

I chuckled inwardly. Well done, Xiaotao—your gentle knife cuts deep! On the surface you defended him, but between the lines you hinted he’s henpecked by his wife. Now he really can’t save face!

These two little demons had set things up perfectly—it was time for my finishing blow.

“Qingqing, Xiaotao, don’t be rude!” I put down my teacup, covering the corner of my mouth with a silk handkerchief as I lightly chided, my voice soft and powerless, without a trace of blame. “Our Spring Courtyard exists to make our gentlemen happy. Rewards are given out of affection—more shows sincerity, less is still heartfelt. Do you understand? Never talk back to the gentlemen again!”

“But Master Su gave a thousand taels…” Qingqing muttered in dissatisfaction.

“You still dare talk back!” I stood, pretending to raise my hand. Old Master Wan quickly leapt up to block me, face filled with admiration and emotion. “Miss Minmin, what a wonderful saying—more is sincerity, less is still affection. A kind and considerate young lady like you is truly rare. I, Wan, cannot let you suffer the slightest grievance! If that fellow Su gave a thousand taels, then today I, Wan, will reward you two thousand taels!”

…………

As Old Master Wan’s figure disappeared into the distance, the three little demons of the brothel looked at each other and grinned. Profit~!

After making my agreement with the madam that day, I spent the next seven days in a flurry of preparations, putting together a groundbreaking song-and-dance performance. Being a transmigrator, of course it had to be “cross-era.” Not crossing eras would’ve been the real anomaly.

And overnight—I became the talk of the capital!

Because I’d bragged so boldly at the start, I put all my strength into preparing:

After long observation, I realized that the dances of women in this era resembled Japanese Noh theatre—restricted to small hand and foot movements. That meant dance was a blue-chip stock with untapped potential!

Originally, I wanted to debut pole dancing or a Broadway cancan, but I worried these self-proclaimed scholars and gentlemen might have heart attacks. So instead, I broke down elements of folk dance and ballroom, blending them into a brand-new routine—seductive yet elegant, modest yet teasing. Instantly, the entire audience was spellbound beneath my skirt!

Song selection also cost me a lot of thought. In the end, I chose the award-winning song Flying in the Flow of Time from my old top-ten-singers competition, paired with the zither performance of our brothel’s senior musician, whose playing was as sorrowful as a lament. The effect rivaled a Rolling Stones original!

Costume and stage design were just as crucial! Xiaotao’s needlework was unmatched in Spring Courtyard—as long as I could draw out my bizarre designs, she could sew them flawlessly. She helped me tremendously! As for the stage, I used every modern trick I knew—lights, fireworks, artificial snowflakes—all of it!

That night, when the gauzy water sleeves fell with the ethereal song, and feathers filled the sky like fairies descending to earth—

Everyone fell silent. Not just the men—even the women were stunned.

From then on, the name “Minmin” spread across the land. All through the Later Ming dynasty, people said: “The dance of Minmin, the foremost dancer, makes one forget their sorrows at a glance! The song of Minmin, the foremost singer, makes one forget their grief with a single note! A man who goes through life without seeing Minmin’s performance—may as well have lived in vain.”

In short—an overwhelming success!

Not only did I fulfill my promise of making Spring Courtyard a gold mine, I also formed my own performance troupe. Members of the troupe were exempt from selling their bodies, and after shows they shared big bonuses. Because I was strict in recruitment, being chosen was an honor. Everyone sharpened their heads trying to squeeze in, countless people sought my favor, and even talented folk from outside the city came to join. With this infusion of elite talent, the troupe flourished. Truly—no matter the era, people are the greatest resource!

Within half a year, I performed once every month on the fifteenth, always changing styles—from Xinjiang dance to Latin rumba—each time bringing fresh surprises. The bumpkins of this era were left dumbfounded! On the fifteenth, the entry price of Spring Courtyard rose from fifty taels to five hundred taels. Private boxes and VIP seats cost even more, enough to terrify the rich! But when it comes to pricing, there’s no “most expensive,” only “more expensive.”

Besides, I, being softhearted and sentimental, also recited poetry with literati, comforted lonely middle-aged uncles, and of course—none of that came free. Naturally, I earned a few extra side profits~

I was cheerful and lively, skilled at cheering up the girls, loyal to my sisters, with no feudal nonsense of “male superiority.” Very soon, I was one with everyone in the courtyard, building a solid network of relationships. Gentle Xiaotao and fiery Qingqing even insisted on becoming sworn sisters with me, vowing to follow me forever. After we swore sisterhood, the first thing I did was take Qingqing to properly deal with Hongxing and avenge Xiaotao. This young lady can bend and stretch—now that I’ve risen, of course I repay every grudge!

The Spring Courtyard’s renovations were nearly complete under my supervision;

The performance troupe’s departments were coordinating smoothly;

Xiaotao’s costumes, based on my bizarre designs, were keeping up with the times and endlessly innovative;

The Min-Tao-Qing trio’s money-making schemes and dining improvements were going strong;

Under the leadership of “party ideology,” my funding work thrived… (Wrote too many thought reports before…)

But just then, I ran into an incident—not huge, not small.

That day, after teaching the girls how to apply smoky makeup, I went on my routine walk. Since Xiaotao was busy rushing costumes for next month, and Qingqing was training the girls’ voices, I had no company—and quickly got… lost.

Golden Rule of Transmigration No. 3: The heroine’s must-have skill—getting lost.

Wandering east and west, I ended up outside a courtyard no different (to my eyes) from the dozen I had passed before. As I mourned my aching feet, a muffled groan suddenly drifted out from inside!

At once, a shiver ran through me—every cell in my body buzzed with excitement!

Reason One: The groans went like this—“Mm… ah… ah… no, stop… ah… uhh…”

Clearly, a classic three-step progression!