Lan Hua stood in the courtyard beneath the lanterns, her crimson robe glowing like flame against the dusk. Around her, courtesans gathered in a hesitant circle. Some came eagerly, others reluctantly, but all came.
On the lacquered table before her rested a new scroll, fresh wax waiting beside it.
"This," Lan Hua said, her voice low but steady, "is the Loyalty System."
Whispers rippled through the group.
Yue Niang laughed lightly, covering her mouth with a jeweled sleeve. "And what does that mean? Are we soldiers now, to swear oaths like men?"
Lan Hua met her eyes calmly. "No. You are sisters. And sisters should not betray one another for scraps."
A few heads lowered. Memories of clawed faces and torn sleeves lingered still.
She unrolled the scroll. Neat columns listed simple rules:
1. A portion of profits is shared with the group.
2. Betrayal of a sister brings loss to all.
3. Loyalty is rewarded with bonuses.
Ping'er, Rui Yun, and Mei Xiu stood proudly behind her, proof that the system worked. Their silk sleeves were fresher, their faces brighter. Even their laughter had gained a new confidence.
"They thrived because they trusted each other," Lan Hua continued. "Because they stood together, instead of tearing each other apart. Now I offer the same to you. Join, and you gain stability. Refuse, and you remain alone."
---
The girls shifted, murmuring nervously.
One younger courtesan whispered, "But… what if I share my silver and she does not work as hard?"
Lan Hua's lips curved faintly. "Then she gains nothing more than her portion. But when her turn comes to shine, you will profit too. The circle turns for all."
Another asked, "And what if I gossip by mistake? What if a patron presses me?"
Lan Hua's gaze sharpened. "Then you will remember that a loose tongue harms not only yourself, but every sister here. Will you risk all their silver for one careless whisper?"
Silence fell. The question struck deep.
---
Yue Niang clapped her hands slowly, mockery dripping from her tone. "Beautiful words, Sister Lan Hua. But I see what this really is. A leash."
She stepped forward, her emerald robe glittering. "You bind us all to your clever system, and suddenly you are not just a courtesan—you are our master. Is that your game?"
Murmurs rose again.
Lan Hua smiled, unbothered. "Not a master. A leader. And only because you choose it. I cannot force loyalty. I can only show its value."
She gestured to her trial group. "Look at them. Were they not fading? Forgotten? Now they stand brighter than ever, because they rose together. That is not a leash. That is a ladder."
Ping'er lifted her chin shyly. "It's true. I would have been discarded. Now, I feel safe."
Rui Yun crossed her arms but smirked. "And for once, I don't need to cut a sister's throat to keep my silver."
Mei Xiu added softly, "I no longer fear tomorrow."
Their voices carried weight. Other courtesans looked at them with envy—and longing.
---
Madam, seated on her chair at the edge, snapped her fan shut. "Enough. Choose for yourselves. I care only for profit. If Lan Hua's system brings it, so be it. If not, it dies with her."
The girls shifted again, glancing between Madam's cold eyes and Lan Hua's calm smile.
At last, one courtesan stepped forward. Then another. Then three more.
"I will join."
"And I."
"…Me too."
Lan Hua wrote their names onto the scroll, sealing each with wax. One by one, the circle grew.
But not all.
Some hung back, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. And Yue Niang, lips curved in her poisonous smile, turned sharply away.
"Fools," she muttered, loud enough for all to hear. "You chain yourselves willingly. I will remain free."
She swept from the courtyard, her silk sleeves trailing like green fire. A handful of courtesans followed in her shadow.
Lan Hua watched her go, unbothered. Even envy has its use. The more she mocks, the more others will compare. And when they see her falter, they will come to me willingly.
---
That night, the house felt different.
The courtesans who had signed sat together, whispering excitedly about how much silver they might earn, how safe they now felt. They looked at Lan Hua with eyes that no longer saw a rival, but a shield.
And those who had not signed? They watched with unease, as though afraid they had already fallen behind.
---
Madam summoned Lan Hua before bed.
"You have stirred the pot," Madam said, her tone clipped. "But the ledgers grow fat. So I allow it."
Lan Hua bowed. "Thank you, Madam."
Madam leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "Do not forget—the house is mine. These girls are mine. Even their loyalty belongs first to me."
Lan Hua smiled sweetly, though her thoughts were cold. For now.
---
As she returned to her chamber, the whispers followed her like perfume.
"She saved Ping'er."
"She makes contracts like officials."
"She binds loyalty with silver and wax."
Lan Hua sat at her desk, closing her eyes. She could almost feel the threads of loyalty weaving together, invisible but strong. Each signature was not just ink. It was trust. It was leverage.
In my old world, loyalty was bought with salaries and shares. Here, with silver and safety. The form changes. The principle never does.
She leaned back, the smile on her lips soft but triumphant.
And when loyalty spreads far enough, no rival can uproot me.
---
Yue Niang, in her chamber, smashed a porcelain cup against the wall.
"She dares!" she hissed. "Turning sisters into soldiers, binding them to her with ink. And they cheer her for it!"
Her attendants shrank back.
Yue Niang's eyes glowed with fury. "Very well. Let her bask in her little empire. Soon enough, I'll remind her—this house was built on beauty, not scrolls."
Her voice dripped venom, but even she knew the truth: the air of the Red Lantern House had changed. The courtesans no longer looked at her as the jewel of the house.
Their eyes were turning, one by one, toward Lan Hua.
---