The people of the Jin Dynasty were open-minded enough to go to Houses of Pleasure in groups.
When Lu Yan and his companions arrived at Pingkang Lane, the evening had yet to become night. As soon as they passed the door to a house called Wenxiang, they were greeted by the sight of many a literati and scholar. These lived up to the custom of men of knowledge being obsessed with graceful figures casting shadows through hanging curtains.
Official Sun Xu was quite the frequent visitor. As soon as the procuress had seen him coming, she immediately squeezed out of the crowd and welcomed him in a booming voice.
“The Official has come!”
Hearing as much, the girls on the second floor rushed to take a look at the entrance——
This time, an unknown man had accompanied their favorite official. Standing by the door’s red lantern, the newcomer reduced all other customers to a blurry, indistinct mass in comparison.
He was dressed in a white robe and black cloak, with a jade coronet on top of his head and a knotted silk tassel hanging from his waist. His whole body exuded a noble and seductive air.
A never-seen visitor like himself could not but make these girls who mingled with the highest personages wonder.
The procuress’s eyes were sharp. At a glance she knew that this new customer was one she was well-advised to humor. Who knew, he might become a regular and give her business an air of distinction. At the very least, she had no need to fear the bill going unpaid with this one, according to her calculations.
“This humble one dares ask the officials whether they would prefer to sit in the hall or should a private table be set up?”
What she actually wanted to know was whether they had come to enjoy song and dance or to enjoy a girl for the night.
Sun Xu touched the tip of his nose, thinking this through deeply.
One normal days, he would ask for one of Wenxiang’s women and have her accompany him for the night. However, today was a completely different matter. Lord Lu had come to eat and drink with them for the first time. He had to take his preferences into account.
“Where does Brother Lu normally like to sit?”
Lu Yan did not even bat an eye, asking the procuress:
“Is the main performer available?”
As soon as those words came out, especially came out of Lu Yan’s mouth, Judge Zheng and Sun Xu froze, their eyes widening.
They really did not expect that a Grand Duke’s precious, silky little heir would not how to play hard.
Wenxiang’s main attraction went by the name of Yunzhi. Her poems were excellent. She danced like none other. It was said that as long as a man had a taste of her, he would lose himself in her charms.
As soon as Lu Yan asked for Yunzhi, the procuress felt like her heart would jump out of her bosom. Thinking he had been lured into her den after hearing of the beauty’s astounding reputation, she told a little maidservant passing by:
“Go fetch Yunzhi for me. And make sure she knows most distinguished guest are requesting her.”
As the three customers were led to a small private hall and took a seat, maidservants rushed in, bringing with them a most exquisite wine set as well as a variety of dishes.
With the bursting sound of a pipa, a few graceful maidens lifted a gauze up and slid into the room.
After they took place, their music accompanied the gentlemen in their drinking.
These girls were all expert in making a night entertainment most enchanting. Not only did they have brilliant literary talents but could be interesting when need arose. And knew when to slide in a lewd word to entice the gentlemen when the right occasion presented itself, making the room heat up at once.
A red candle in the room flickered. And Yunzhi made her entry, looking for the handsome, distinguished man that had been promised her. Seeing him, she was so overjoyed she could not help but take the initiative to approach him.
Seating herself by him, she breathed into his ear:
“If the Lord is tired of these little things and dislikes them, how about this slave dance for him?”
Even a piece of iron would bloom if it were to hear such a sultry voice in its ear. But only the good old fellow Lu was left as cold as a block of ice.
He only took a dismissive look at Yunzhi’s eyes.
A pretty pair of peach blossom eyes. At first glance, they seemed romantic and sentimental. But if one cared to take a closer look, one would uncover worldly sophistication and aloofness.
It was hard for such a woman to hide the anger at her having been reduced to such straits and the alienation that stemmed from her suffering and rage.
Such eyes spoke of how, under careful tempering and having gone through fire and water, a woman such as Yunzhi has lost her soul.
Raising her hand, she poured a cup of wine and handed it expertly to Lu Yan.
“If the Lord were to be satisfied with this slave’s dance, he would have to drown this cup. What does Your Lordship say?”, she softly asked.
Lu Yan took the cup, gave her a glance, but did not speak.
Yunzhi took his silence for assent and stood up, searched his eyes and made preparations to dance.
But, the harder she worked, the more Lu Yan’s eyes dimmed. His interest could not be kindled.
In less than the split of an instant, his patience was exhausted.
Deep inside, he felt stuffy and dry. He had seen the most famous entertainer in all of Pingkang Lane, which meant in all of Chang’an. And yet, he felt nothing.
Nothing at all.
How different all of these feelings where from when he would see the Third Miss of the Shen Household.
He slammed the wine cup onto the table.
Seeing his actions, Yunzhi misunderstood that he was unsatisfied with her performance. Twisting her wrists, she shot Lu Yan an apprehensive glance, lost in a daze.
“Is this slave’s dance not to the Lord’s liking?”.
There was trepidation in her voice.
Lu Yan saw that his companions were chatting with enjoyment, more than happy with how the evening was turning out. He was quite aware that this was not a moment to put a halt to their delight. Thus he raised the cup she had previously given him, downed it in one move, signaling he was satisfied as per her wishes, and demanded that Yunzhi continued with her dance.
Hearing the indifference behind his words, Yunzhi’s face turned crimson and her heart filled with resentment. It was more than obvious to her that she did not entice that man one bit, whatever he might have implied himself. It was the first time she had been so mortified after becoming the most prized entertainer in the whole capital.
After the song had ended, Yunzhi had sat down, not daring to make another sound. Rather, she decided to pour Lu Yan another glass of wine and engaged him in small talk with no other intention than to spend time.
Almost an hour later, the wind suddenly rose outside and the doors and windows started creaking from the sheer impact of the gale. As the cold air filtered in, the people inside started shaking.
His mind hazy from wine, Judge Zheng’s blurry eyes tried to take a glimpse outside, his red face scrunching up in concentration. Failing at it, he had no choice but to ask:
“How’s the snow?”
Sun Xu glanced outside.
“Since it is snowing heavily, let us call it a day. We do not want to be stuck outside after curfew. And seeing as the roads will not be easy to travel, we very well might.”
Judge Zheng nodded his assent. And thus, the three of them got up immediately and left.
He did not know whether it was a result of the wine or of the wind on the way back, but Lu Yan woke up with a splitting headache, blurry eyes and a hoarse voice the next morning.
Raising his hand, he massaged his throat, the dream he had had flashing through his mind. Yet another dream.
He could not help but laugh at himself.
It was a repeat of yesterday’s events in Wenxiang House. Just that the face of the main entertainer was replaced by that of the Shen girl. She reproduced the exact same dance moves that had left him so cold the day before. And the flavor of the whole performance had changed drastically.
It was as if a plain glass of water had turned into the strongest moonshine. The whole performance had been intoxicating, leaving him spellbound. Driving him insane with desire.
Today being a day of rest, after a visit to his grandmother, Lu Yan had retired to his study, doing nothing more productive than coughing from time to time.
His eyes were heavy, barely letting him read a character from the book in his hand.
Seeing his master’s tiredness, Yang Zong decided to bring him a cup of hot tea, as any good servant would in such a situation. Lu Yan took the cup, removed its cover, and sipped it carefully. Yang Zong chose the very moment his master’s mouth was full of tea to say:
“This tea was just brought by Her Highness, the Princess Royale. She took it from the Meng family’s teahouse in the Western Market.”
Lu Yan had taken a healthy gulp, but as the words “Western Market” came to his ears, he choked on his tea. He struggled for breath, coughing violently until his eyes turned red.
A strange thought crossed his mind. Actually, at times, thinking of someone was exactly like coughing. One could simply not help it.
Stopping to pound his chest, he decided he refused to simply go on like this.
“Prepare the carriage. I wish to visit the Western Market”, he said in a hoarse voice.
The snowfall that had started the day before had not halted and the roads were covered in a thin layer of ice, explaining why many a shop was closed for the day. Walking towards Baixiang Pavilion, Lu Yan’s steps faltered and he froze in place.
The snow falling on the umbrella was making a silky sound. Yang Zong looked up at once, only to feel surprise wash over him. Why were there people blocking the door to Baixiang Pavilion?
The back of a certain Song Jian was shielding the smile he was giving Shen Zhen from prying eyes.
“If the third girl were to give me a kiss. I would buy a case of rouge and powder from her this instant. There is no use playing the haughty part with me. I am quite aware you are short of money.”
Song Jian, only son of Song Mo, an obscenely rich merchant, was leaning against the doorframe to Baixiang Pavilion, living up to his reputation as one of the greatest lechers of the city.
Qingxi quickly stepped forward to shield Shen Zhen. Neither could exit the Pavilion, but at the very least Qingxi would try to hinder others from coming in.
“Our Miss does not do business with people like you!”
Song Jian sneered in disdain and ridiculed the two women.
“People like me? Pray tell, what kind of person am I?
At those words, he arrogantly waved at Qingxi to get out of his way.”
“Step aside! Who gave you the permission to address me?!”
Seeing her not move an inch, he pushed Qingxi away and dragged Shen Zhen into his arms.
“My little sister, why don’t you give this big brother a kiss. This big brother will pay double for your products. Who else but him could pay such high price?”
Shen Zhen had been on her guard for a long time. As soon as he had dared touch her, she had pulled the hairpin in her hair off and made a movement to stab him.
Song Jian felt a pain on the back of his hand, hissing in rage, ready to retaliate in kind.
However, at that instant, Shen Zhen’s black hair was lifted by the wind, spreading out and fluttering all around her. It was a most enticing image.
Against a background of snow slyly penetrating her shop, she resembled a fairy who had fallen from the heavens and lost all of her spiritual power.
Her eyes, red with unshed tears but losing none of their stubbornness, extinguished the fire in Wang Jian’s veins at once.
“My little Shen Zhen, today is the eighth day of your period of grace. I feel much pity for you, but the people from Jin’s moneylending business may not be as merciful as I am. Why are you so stubborn? In two days from today, your brother and yourself will find yourselves in an unenviable situation. Will you not then regret the way you have treated me today? Who, besides me, could come up with the money to set you free?”
At these words, he extended his hand and twirled a strand of her lustrous black hair around his forefinger.
The last ray of sunshine in the sky was engulfed by the heavy clouds as the afternoon came to an end. Lu Yan snatched the umbrella Yang Zong was keeping above his head, his knuckles turning white in rage.
He strode forward, grabbing the nape of Song Jian’s neck and pulling hard. Since the ground was covered in ice, Song Jian staggered backward, slipped and humiliatingly fell into the snow.
Before he had a chance to clearly see who had had dared challenge him, he heard the door to Baxiang Pavilion being slammed shut. Standing up, covered in melting snow, he roared at his entourage to smash the door in. But before anyone had the time to event take a step, Yang Zong had slid in front of the door, blocking the men effectively and daring them to try with his eyes.
Lu Yan, the closed door behind him, crossed eyes with Shen Zhen whom he had pulled along.
Examining her from head to toes, his eyes slid to her waist where a white purse was tangling. On that small purse there was but one character embroidered. “Zhen”.
All the things he had seen in his dream were starting to appear in real life. One by one.
His mouth suddenly pulled into a smile. A smile of understanding. The gods might very well have been trying to tell him that his strange dreams were indeed flashes of a past life, as priests would have had it.
He remained silent, just dropping some coins on the tabletop. Staring right into Shen Zhen’s eyes, he asked, in his deep voice:
“Is this enough for a case of your products?”
Realizing what he was trying to do, Shen Zhen felt embarrassment washing over her. She had never been driven to such straits that she had to beg for sympathy and rely on someone’s pity. Today, she had learned a valuable lesson. She would never again be a marquis’ legitimate daughter. The Shen Zhen of the past was no more. How could she ever have believed that dignity was more valuable than money? But she could not bring herself to sell herself. Let alone her Shen Hong. Thus, she had to learn to bow her head. But bowing one’s head to some people was more acceptable than to others.
She suddenly lowered her head, biting her lips and holding back her tears. Her fingers reached for the silver on the table.
“His Lordship has given too much. This is more than enough.”
Intelligent as Lu Yan was, how could he not know what she was thinking?!
“Last time, I took a fan of yours by mistake. If I am not mistaken, the Juan’an wasterside pavilion painted on the fan is Master Chun Zhi’s work. His brushstroke and ink are well-worth the money.”
At those words, he shot Shen Zhen a long look.
“I will have someone come to pick the goods up tomorrow.”
Lu Yan turned around, putting his hands on the door, ready to depart. Shen Zhen however rushed towards him, whispering:
“Thank you, Lord Lu.”
“There is no need for thanks,” he said in a hoarse voice.
Do not thank me.
Shen Zhen, you should truly not thank me.
Because my desire for you could make me much more shameless than the rest of them ever were.
