The moonlight eerily reflected against the tiles of the porch, while inside the courtyard, candlelight swayed and played shadow games against the account booklet. As a gust of air slithered through the cracks around the window, making paper rustle.
Lu Yan’s figure gradually approached the woman seated at the table.
“Shen Zhen.”
His voice was low and deep, rich and dark. Announcing danger. The brush between Shen Zhen’s fingers slid from her grasp and her eyelashes trembled slightly. Her eyes met his, slid down his chin and were left mesmerized by the slow movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. Whenever he looked at her with that predatory stare, she felt all her will to refuse crumble. Before she could even realize what was happening, Lu Yan leaned in, fully tore the brush from her hand, throwing it to the ground, slammed the booklet shut and pushed it aside in an impatient movement.
“On the table.”
Lu Yan tapped the tabletop before straightening, his fierce stare burning through Shen Zhen. Her face turned crimson instantly. That sensation that always left her breathless traveled down her spine. She could not fathom why he was so eager to do that on the table whenever the opportunity arose. However, one thing she did know was that once done, her knees would be in so much pain she would find it hard to lift her legs.
Shen Zhen did not know that the posture she abhorred most was a favorite among all men in the world.
Seeing as she was not budging, Lu Yan mistook her immobility for shyness. Thus, he wrapped his arm around Shen Zhen’s waist and forced her to stand, lowering his head to bite her earlobe. The heat of his mouth slid into her ear, making a tremor shake her whole body. Nonetheless, Shen Zhen still avoided his gaze. In fact, her two small hands came to rest against his chest, pushing against it softly in an unclear rejection. Lu Yan’s brows furrowed. His hand reached out, patted her rear. She was not wearing a menstrual belt. Thus, she was not menstruated …
Shen Zhen’s cheeks were so hot they could have burned paper. She recognized that familiar movement, just that she mistook its meaning for encouragement. In a hurry, she lifted her skirt, showing him her bruised knees. They were red and purple indeed. Such tender skin marred by the results of Lu Yan’s beastly desires. Anyone looking at such traces would have pitied her and condemned him. Even Lu Yan felt that such contusions were an intolerable result of his demands. Bringing his fist to his lips, he coughed in guilt.
Leading her to the couch, Lu Yan acted based on a rare moment of self-reflection. He did not demand that she get down on all fours anymore. However, a change of position did not make it any better in Shen Zhen’s eyes. He liked it with the lanterns and candles burning. She liked it only in complete darkness.
In fact, when he took her from the back, she at the very least did not have to face the mockery in his eyes. As long as she did not see it, she could let him do everything he wanted. But once her eyes met his, she would feel her heart lurch. It would make her feel like a driftwood, rocked by an endless sea, never to reach the shore …
As she was manipulated on the coach, the only pin in her hair slid from her bun, falling to the ground in a tinkle. Thousands of strands of long, black hair scattered around them. What a mess …
Shen Zhen’s threw her arms back, convulsively grabbing onto the carved armrest of the couch, the knuckles of her fingers turning white in trepidation. Lu Yan looked down at her. Had he not known her intimately, had he not uncovered her most secret sides, he would never have believed that such an innocent face could be paired to such a tantalizing, provocative body. She was the embodiment of pure lust.
Shen Zhen was almost brought to tears by his insistent gaze.
“Your Lordship, do not look. Do not look”, she whimpered incoherently.
But Lu Yan had already had his rare moment of self-reflection. At the moment, the darkness in his heart prevailed. The more she tried to avoid his eyes, the more he stared. She might have been one thousand kinds of beautiful, ten thousand kinds of enchanting, however he could not help but feel that her heart was as hard as stone. And thus, Lu Yan only lowered his head to kiss her eyelids once he had made her cry, proving himself he could elicit any type of emotions in her.
The moon was dimmed by a passing night cloud. And until the man did not release one last, muffled groan against her throat, Shen Zhen’s fingers did not let go of the couch’s armrest.
He did not know whether it was because of his habit of cleanliness or because of a upsurge of kindness, most probably mixed with guilt, that, seeing as Shen Zhen could not move, Lu Yan picked her up and carried her to the bathing room, where he softly, carefully cleaned her body.
The night was pitch black. Shen Zhen could not fall asleep. She stared at the beams on the ceiling, not moving an inch, barely breathing. Such beautiful, tender eyes finally let themselves be tainted by the sorrow Shen Zhen was forced to swallow during the day. But in the dark of night, she knew it would not be seen.
After a while, she turned her head to the side, a ray moonlight dispelling her tumultuous emotions.
***
Zhao Family, Governor’s Mansion, Yangzhou.
The curtain hanging around a bed was slowly pushed aside, letting a ray of morning sun seep through. A maid named Juizhi stood in the middle of the bedroom and slowly said:
“Madam, Eldest Madam Gao has sent word that the people of Wei family have indeed gone to the Gao residence.”
Madam Zhao suppressed the small smile that threatened to appear on her face. Stretching out a hand, she picked up the cup of hot tea Jiuzhi had brought her.
“Have you checked what I have asked you to investigate?”
“According to the spy, Jingzhou indeed has a Wei family whose Young Master is named Wei Xun. He is twenty-four years old. He is married to the daughter of an official at the County Judiciary Office. Together, they have a son and daughter.”
Jiuzhi paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
“Madam, this Wei family is more complicated than we imagined at first.”
“How so?”
“The Wei family has quite the status in Jingzhou. They do not only trade silk, they also have a hand in the salt business.”
The Madam raised a mildly interest eyebrow.
“Salt, hm? If that is the case, what is he doing in Yangzhou?”
How could rags ever compare to the profit to be made from salt?
“The Wei family is full of ambition. If there is an opportunity to make the smallest amount of money, they well seize it. Wei Xian came to Yangzhou, while Wei Qi, the Second Master of the Wei family, went to Luoyang.”
Madam Zhao continued:
“Thus, what he is looking for in Yangzhou is money?”
“It very much seems so”, Jiuzhi confirmed.
Madam Zhao clicked her tongue and said to a little girl who was energetically massaging her leg:
“Lighter!”
She continued.
“I heard that the Young Master of the Wei family brought a concubine along.”
“Indeed, this slave heard from Zhuang Yue that Master Wei is smitten with this concubine. He loves her to the point of insanity, going as far as spending hundreds of copper coins on jewelry for her.”
Hearing this, Madam Zhao chuckled and sighed.
“Well, well, a libertine, hm?”
Jiuzhi lowered her head respectfully, not daring give her opinion on the subject. After a while, Madam Zhao folded her hands over her lap.
“Send someone to keep an eye on Luyuan. Then, pay my brother and sister-in-law a visit. Tell them not to worry about what to do next.”
“Yes.”
In the evening, Zhao Chong returned to his residence.
In no way could Zhao Chong omapre to a nobleman such as Lu Yan. It had taken him half his life to climb to the humble position of provincial governor. He was already over forty years old, and a life of worries had made his face as wrinkled as a dry prune. However, his official’s uniform gave him a certain air of dignity.
Walking in, he took place by a fire crate, rubbing his hands above the flame. He listened to his wife’s accounts with attention.
“Does Madam think the people of the Wei family can be trusted?”
Madam Zhao pondered the question for a moment.
“If meat is brought to your door, there is no sense in not eating it. Whether the Liu or the Wei family, whether trustworthy or not, let us find out by ourselves.”
Zhao Chong nodded his head pensively.
“Pour me a glass of water.”
Madam Zhao hurriedly walked over. On one side she poured her dear husband that glass of water he could have gotten himself, on the other side she spoke on.
“Two days ago, someone from the Governor’s Office passed a message. There is a shortage of money for the iron smelting around Chengxi Canal. Let us make up for it, Husband. Forgive your wife for speaking bluntly. If the venture turns out for the best, it will bring us wealth and status. However, if it were to fail …”
Narrowing his eyes, Zhao Chong interrupted her abruptly.
“Speak no more.”
***
At noon the next day, word came from the Gao household. Yang Zong rushed into Lu Yan’s study.
“Young Master, the Gao family has sent a message saying the proprietor of the shops wants to meet us, just that …”
“Speak already”, Lu Yan snapped.
“They want you to take Miss Shen along.”
As soon as those words were uttered, Lu Yan’s pupils contracted and he furrowed his brows.
“When and where?”, he barked.
“Tonight, the Twenty-Four Bridges of Yangzhou.”
The legendary Twenty-Four Bridges of Yangzhou. The most renowned Red Light District in the entire Jin Dynasty. Even Chang’an’s illustrious Pingkang Lane could not compare! All the officials who have had the privilege of visiting Yangzhou likened it to the gardens of pleasure King Zhou, the last king of the Shang Dynasty, had built to please his beloved Su Daji, that damned fox-spirit. The artists of the Twenty-Four Bridges of Yangzhou would in no way lose in obscenity to Su Daji’s libidinous musicians and dancers.
Lu Yan looked at the map he always had spread on his table, staring at it intently, his finger reaching for his forehead as he thought everything through for a long time.
“Very well.”
He turned his eyes Yang Zong’s way.
“Tell our men to lie in wait at the Governor’s Mansion. If ever they are discovered, have them take Zhao Chong and his wife as hostages.”
“This subordinate understands”, Yang Zong energetically acquiesced.
***
The Red Light District was separated from the rest of the city by a toll. Passing through, one was welcomed by the nine lanes of the Twenty-Four Bridges of Yangzhou stretching out on half a mile. By the end of the afternoon, Shen Zhen alighted from a carriage alongside Lu Yan.
The Red Light District’s alleys were narrow and winding. It was impossible to walk through the streets steadily. At night, when the lanterns were lighted up, hundreds of brothel rooms were made visible. In these, thousands of prostitutes piled up on one another. And thousands of men gathered to have a taste of the filth that pervaded every corner.
As the saying goes, the more corrupt a business, the greater the profit. There was not one high-ranking official or noble who would miss a lewd performance and reject a vulgar prostitute. These would bathe every night, massage their bodies with cream, carefully make themselves up, dress and walk out in the alleys, vomited out by the wine shops, tea houses, poetry associations. As soon as they saw a potential customer, they would throw their thin arms around his neck, trying to pull him upstairs with them.
Pingkang Lane still had a reputation to preserve. One had to at least give off an impression of elegance and taste when the Emperor sat on one’s head. The nine alleys of the Twenty-Four Bridges of Yangzhou were the opposite. They did not offer entertainment. They promised the lowest form of fornication.
How could Shen Zhen be prepared to the sight that had waited for her?!
She walked close behind Lu Yan, her heart beating wildly. Happily, Zhao Chong had not rented a restaurant or a tea house to welcome them. Rather, he waited for them on a boat. It was a distinctive pleasure the dignitaries of Yangzhou enjoyed in that Red Light District. At night, they would rent boats and let themselves be carried by the waves of pleasure. They feasted, they played. It rendered the experience all the wilder.
As Shen Zhen and Lu Yan were led east, a small servant rushed out of a boat.
“Would this be Young Master Wei?”, the small servant asked.
“I am Wei Xian”, Lu Yan nodded.
“This slave has come to show Young Master Wei the way.”
Soon, he led them into the boat. Their footsteps were made uneasy by the swaying of the barque.
A man and woman waited for them inside, the man being Governor Zhao. The woman, for her part, was the most famous courtesan in the nine alleys, as well as Zhao Chong lover, Huanniang. As soon as Lu Yan stepped foot into the pleasure boat, she exclaimed in a most coquettish way:
“Lord Zhao why have you not told Huanniang we would be receiving guests tonight?”
Lu Yan pretended to be stunned with realization. He stepped forward in a cordial manner, not overbearing, not servile, and slightly bowed to the man.
“This humble member of the Wei family greets Lord Zhao.”
Shen Zhen, following his lead, performed a deep, albeit silent, feminine bow. Zhao Chong was very satisfied with such acknowledgment. He laughed it off, however, affably starting with a round of condescending flattery.
“This Official has heard much about Young Master Wei’s talents. Seeing him today, this Official sees he has not been lied to.”
“Your Lordship is too good”, Lu Yan humbly and enthusiastically said, the image of sincerity.
While he was speaking, Huanniang, who had seen and was used to all breed of men, could not tear her eyes off Lu Yan. Zhao Chong waved his hand to offer him a seat. Once Lu Yan sat, Shen Zhen followed suite. With shaking fingers, she removed her veil, attracting all eyes on her. Zhao Chong’s expression brightened. He took her sight in. What a beauty! He had not expected Wei Xian’s concubine to be such a dasher! It was no wonder the man was throwing hundreds of copper coins out the window just for one smile of hers.
When a woman looked at a woman, the first thing she did was to evaluate her appearance. It was the first time Huanniang saw a woman more striking than herself in all of Yangzhou. Observing her with attention, she could only sigh. The lass did not use powder. How could she be so white-skinned?!
After three rounds of drinking, Huanniang jumped to her feet, decided to show of her skill. She picked up her pipa and sang “Jade-walled Pavilion”.
(T/N: Poem by Wen Tingyuan, poet of the late Tang Dynasty.)
Lu Yan and Zhao Chong listened with appreciation, clinking and filling one another’s cup. Halfway through her song, Huanniang abandoned the pipa, tore her upper jacket off and revealed her soft, white flesh for the pleasure and enjoyment of the gentlemen.
Such a visual stimulus made Shen Zhen, sheltered little darling, clasp her hands together in anxiety and swallow her saliva. Lu Yan, on the other hand, only smiled in ease, as if for him this was business as usual. But deep inside, he was not titillated in the least. At first glance, he appeared all that was playful and elegant: uninhibited, indifferent and leisurely. Everything was going perfectly well.
Shen Zhen had assumed that Lu Yan had become official of the Supreme Court at such a young age because of his family’s standing. How could the heir to a grand duchy as well as the Emperor’s nephew be left to rot at some low-impact position.
However, this trip to Yangzhou had permitted for her to discover all his superior abilities, such as that Jingzhou accent he mastered like a native or his deep knowledge of the customs of the southern and northern regions he used to impress Zhao Chong.
He was a changed man in her eyes. He was a man born in Chang’an, who grew up in Chang’an. And this Governor Zhao was deliberately mentioning Jingzhou at ever work, trying to see whether Lu Yan was not hiding under a false identity. But no matter what, Lu Yan handled all his difficult questions with elegance, especially those pertaining to the brothels of Jingzhou.
Occasionally a few salacious words would escape Lu Yan, making Zhao Chong toast him and drink to his honor as if he were an old friend. That was how men bonded. As long as they were of the same cloth, they would flock together. Libidinous swine would look for libidinous swine.
Once Huanniang finished her song, Governor Zhao shot her speaking look. She quickly produced a wine flash from an exquisite yellow rosewood box. Languidly pouring Lu Yan a cup of wine, she whispered in a slightly husky, suggestive voice:
“It is said that Yangzhou makes the crispest wine. Does the Young Master wish to try?”
Lu Yan did not disappoint her, downing the cup quickly. Officials were renowned for their pedantic planning of every move. Thus, Governor Zhao’s eyes followed each of Lu Yan’s moves with his calculating eyes. Only by drinking a glass without suspicion will he appear like he had let his guard down and have them let theirs down in turn. Having passed such a test, Zhao Chong started talking once more.
“I studied hard for ten years in order to pass the Imperial Examination and attain fame. My mother would wake every morning and leave before dawn to go sell rice and pay for my education. I never believed in the saying that ‘everyone is equal, whether high or low’. I preferred to desperately climb the ladder for the last seventeen years. Looking back, I wonder whether I took the right decision.”
Only a greenhorn would have mistaken such a confidence for a show of trust. No. Governor Zhao was testing the waters, trying to determine where Lu Yan’s allegiance laid. Lu Yan smiled dreamily.
“Life is short. Neither living one’s lifetime in poverty nor in wealth will save one from death. Knowing Lord Zhao’s wisdom, this humble member of the Wei family believes that there is more to His Lordship’s ambition than lowly greed.”
His words were to Zhao Chong’s liking. A sincere smile settled on the governor’s wrinkly face. His eyes shimmered with ambition, appreciation and hunger.
“Brother Wei should have come to Yangzhou earlier”, he said without hesitation.
Shen Zhen thought at once Governor Zhao had finally let his guard down. She was proven wrong when he turned his eagle eyes her way. As he knew Shen Zhen not to be Lu Yan’s wife, Zhao Chong did not show her particular consideration. Among the rich and powerful, exchanging concubines for a night’s fun was not uncommon. As such, in his eyes, she was no better than a prostitute.
“Does Miss Qin come from the capital?”, Zhao Chong asked slowly.
Shen Zhen nodded shyly.
“His Lordship is right. This humble concubine has spent her childhood in the capital.”
Zhao Chong grunted in acknowledgment, smiling slightly.
“Chang’an is indeed worthy of being the capital. Even its girls are the most charming of the Empire.”
Shen Zhen might have wished to refuse the compliment in disdain. But she obviously could not throw a cup of wine at Zhao Chong’s face. She could not bring herself to gracefully be thankful for it either. There was an underlying meaning she did not wish to uncover. At that instant, Huanniang poked Shen Zhen’s ribs with her elbow, playfully saying:
“Lord Zhao does not praise often. What is Miss Qin doing, not toasting him?”
Being a good little helper, Huanniang grabbed onto a flask in a corner and filled Shen Zhen’s cup. Shen Zhen observed the courtesan’s movements from the corner of her eye. She had twisted the neck of the jug! It was a partitioned jug containing two different liquids. One that was innocuous for general consumption. And the other …
Shen Zhen’s eyes widened. Huanniang would not have had the courage to go as far as to make guests drink something questionable. This must be an order given by Governor Zhao.
There was no other choice but to drink it. Throwing back her head, Shen Zhen drank in one swig. As she grew up, she was allowed to have a sip of fruit wine on special occasions, such as the New Year. How could she stand strong alcohol?! After that one cup, her face turned crimson.
In Zhao Chong’s eyes, a tender, fresh fruit like Shen Zhen was the only dish that went well with a good cup of wine.
Smiling widely, he made Huanniang fill Shen Zhen’s glass once more. Only then did Shen Zhen understand why Governor Zhao had addressed and praised her. He wanted to get her drunk.
This was her life. Whenever something was bound to go wrong, it ended up in disaster.
Although His Lordship had told her to simply grab onto his palm if ever she could not bear Zhao Chong’s vulgarity, Shen Zhen did not want to hold him back. If ever their identities were to be revealed before time, they would leave Yangzhou in a rush. She would not have the chance to see Hong’er and Retainer An.
Thinking a small plan through with a hazy mind, she let a plate crash to the ground, figments of porcelain flying around. Grabbing onto one of them, she hid it in her palm. As its sharp edge bit into Shen Zhen’s flesh, she regained some of her sense and remembered to hide her hand in her long sleeve so that blood not seep out.
Seeing as she was drunk, Zhao Chong continued with his interrogation.
“Where is Miss Qin from in the capital?”
Shen Zhen, kept rational by the pain that was tearing through her hand, slurred some confuse answer out.
“I was born in Wannian County. Father and Mother died in my early childhood and I was raised by my aunt.”
Zhao Chong narrowed his eyes and said in false sympathy.
“What a pitiful story. What happened to your aunt?”
Shen Zhen nodded blankly.
“Auntie died. Sister-in-law chased me out of home. But Master Wei saved me.”
Zhao Chong slowly twirled the cup in his hand. His smile became subtle and knowing. He could not help sighing, sincerely this time, and whispered in envy:
“What a beautiful story. A hero saving a beauty.”
Most men liked to imagine themselves in the roles of saviors coming to the rescue of a forlorn, tormented woman. Shen Zhen’s tale made his finger grip his cup tighter and tighter. Soon, as the night became darker and darker, the candles on the boat would be extinguished. Zhao Chong, observing Shen Zhen’s delicately swaying silhouette, felt his desire surge desperately.
Such a drunk, tantalizing little beauty must have had a special taste to her. He wished to savor it. However, he was not a man to try to snap a woman from under a potential ally’s nose, especially if said ally was a rich, young merchant. He preferred a more refined approach.
“What does Young Master Wei think of Huanniang?”
Lu Yan put his cup down, the corners of his lips curling up.
As Huanniang heard the question, a string was pulled in her cold, calculate heart. She shivered ever so slightly. Zhao Chong often demanded that she served other men, whether they be the officials of the Governor’s Office or the county magistrate. She had no say in the matter. This was the first time, however, that she was more than willing.
Zhao Chong laughed generously, trying to entice Lu Yan.
“If Brother Wei likes her, how about staying the night in Hua Lane?”
Lu Yan did not bat an eye. However, he struggled to repress a gagging reflex. He liked himself to be clean. Clean! The idea of any part of his body touching that of an unknown woman, let alone an unclean one’s, made his head turn. In retrospect, he clearly remembered the one time Shen Zhen had grabbed his wrist he had wiped it energetically. Asking him to partake in intimacy with a brothel’s main attraction was truly too much!
He had sacrificed enough already for the country and his charming imperial uncle. He would certainly not sell his body by forcing himself to copulate with prostitutes. There were limits to both his patriotism and his filial piety.
After deliberation, Lu Yan spoke coldly, ensuring each and every one of his words to reach Governor Zhao:
“A gentleman would never desire the lover of another. The Lord is too kind in his offer. But this humble member of the Wei family must reject it respectfully.”
Zhao Chong clearly heard the hidden message behind Lu Yan’s words. He did feel regret. However, this was a man he wanted to form an alliance with. He had to give in and nod in understanding. And thus, the banquet ended.
Before taking his leave, Zhao Chong patted Lu Yan’s shoulder patronizingly.
“I will be taking a day off tomorrow. If Brother Wei has nothing planned, he should come visit the Governor’s Mansion.”
Lu Yan bowed in gratitude, warmly responding.
“This humble member of the Wei family will be most honored to visit.”
As Zhao Chong left, Shen Zhen staggered to her feet, her mind hazy. Seeing as she would crush to the ground, Lu Yan quickly snaked an arm around her waist, bringing her against his chest.
It was only then that he noticed the blood-stained sleeve.
