The lanterns burned low in Lan Hua's chamber, filling the air with the faint scent of sandalwood. Three women sat before her on embroidered cushions, shifting nervously.
They were not the brightest stars of the Red Lantern House. Each had been fading, their patrons slipping away like water through silk.
The first, Ping'er, was young but timid. She stammered in front of nobles, and they quickly lost interest.
The second, Rui Yun, was sharp-tongued, her temper ruining more evenings than her beauty could salvage.
The third, Mei Xiu, was gentle but plain, always overshadowed by brighter faces.
All three had been drifting toward ruin—until Lan Hua summoned them.
They exchanged uncertain glances now, whispering to one another. Finally Ping'er spoke. "Sister Lan Hua… Madam said you wanted to meet us. But why?"
Lan Hua sat tall, calm, her crimson robe a pool of power around her. "Because I see your struggle. And I see your value. You can shine, if given the right tools."
Mei Xiu lowered her gaze. "We are weak. The patrons always choose others."
Lan Hua's lips curved. "Not weak. Merely unprotected."
She unrolled a parchment across the low table. Black ink shimmered in the candlelight, bold strokes dividing the page into neat sections.
The courtesans leaned in, frowning. "What is this?" Rui Yun asked suspiciously.
"A contract," Lan Hua said. "A new way forward."
She pointed to the first line. "Here: the patron agrees to terms. If he seeks a match, he pays a set amount—half in advance, half when the marriage is sealed. If he breaks the agreement, the house keeps the silver. No disputes, no losses."
Ping'er blinked. "So… even if he cheats us, we still win?"
"Exactly," Lan Hua said. "His honor binds him, and our ink protects us."
She tapped the next section. "Second: loyalty. Each of you will share a portion of your earnings with the group. A small slice only, but enough that you will rise and fall together. If one prospers, all prosper. If one suffers, all suffer. No rival will dare sabotage you—because to harm you is to harm herself."
Rui Yun frowned, arms crossed. "Why should I share what little I earn?"
Lan Hua met her gaze steadily. "Because in this house, you are already losing alone. But together, you cannot be ignored. Think—if one of you secures a great marriage, the others taste the silver too. And when you stumble, they will not laugh—they will shield you. Self-interest becomes loyalty."
Rui Yun hesitated, her sharp tongue stilled.
Lan Hua continued, her tone smooth and precise. "Third: secrecy. You swear that no details leave this group. No whispers to rivals, no careless gossip to patrons. What you build here stays here."
Mei Xiu bit her lip. "But… if Madam disapproves?"
Lan Hua leaned forward, her smile faint, almost conspiratorial. "Madam has allowed me this trial. If you succeed, she will expand it. If you fail…" She spread her hands lightly. "…then you are no worse off than before. Tell me, which risk frightens you more: trying, or fading into nothing?"
The three women exchanged glances. Ping'er's eyes shone with quiet hope. Rui Yun's scowl softened into thought. Mei Xiu's hands trembled, but she nodded faintly.
Lan Hua picked up a small stick of crimson wax, lit it, and let it drip onto the bottom of the parchment. Then she pressed her own seal into the molten circle, the imprint of a peony flower blooming in the hardened red.
"This," she said, "is not just ink. It is protection. Once sealed, this scroll becomes a symbol. No patron can dispute it, no sister can deny it. You will hold power greater than rouge and jewels—the power of agreement."
She slid the scroll forward.
"Sign."
The room was silent except for the crackle of the candle.
Ping'er swallowed, then picked up the brush with trembling fingers. She wrote her name in careful strokes.
Rui Yun hesitated, glaring at Lan Hua. "And if this fails?"
Lan Hua's smile was serene. "Then curse my name. But if it succeeds… you will never again be at the mercy of a man's whim."
Something in her voice—iron beneath silk—convinced Rui Yun. She dipped the brush and scrawled her name boldly.
Mei Xiu lingered the longest, her hand hovering. Finally she whispered, "I have nothing left to lose." And with that, she signed.
Lan Hua sealed their names with wax, pressing the peony seal until the red gleamed like fire.
"It is done," she said softly.
The women stared at the parchment as though it were a holy scripture. Their signatures bound together, their fates entwined.
Ping'er whispered, "So now… what happens?"
Lan Hua leaned back, her eyes glinting in the candlelight. "Now, you rise. Together. You secure the marriage, the house gains stability, and you take your share of the profit. No rival can sabotage you without cutting her own throat."
She folded the parchment carefully, sliding it into a lacquered box. "From tonight, you are no longer prey. You are partners."
The three women exhaled slowly, their fear mingled with something else—hope.
Lan Hua smiled to herself. The trial had begun.
And once they tasted the power of contracts, there would be no turning back.
*****
In the shadows outside, a pair of courtesans whispered. They had seen the gathering, the wax, the whispers.
"She is building something," one murmured.
"She thinks she can change the house."
"Maybe she can."
The rumor spread before dawn, curling through the corridors like incense smoke.
*****
By morning, everyone knew: Lan Hua had bound three courtesans to her with ink and wax.
And though most scoffed, a seed of curiosity had been planted.