The Red Mansion

Chapter 131 A Dream of Brothels

Taiyuanlou was a high-class restaurant on the banks of the Qinhuai River, and Xue Pan frequented this restaurant.

It was a sweltering day, and the heat in Jiangning City was oppressive.

Xue Pan brought Lai Shangrong to Taiyuanlou for a drink, along with Wang Long, Pei Ze, and Qiu Rou.

Aunt Xue's maternal family, the Wang family, consisted of twelve branches, with only two branches in the capital and ten branches in Jiangning. Wang Long came from one of these branches.

Jiangning Prefect Jia Yucun had a trusted advisor named Pei Lin, and Pei Ze was Pei Lin's only son.

Qiu Rou was a famous courtesan at the Qimengyuan, a renowned brothel on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The group sat in a private room on the second floor.

The bamboo curtain by the window is half-rolled up, and painted boats shuttle back and forth outside the railing.

On the table were fine wine glasses and various delicacies in the Jiangnan style, as well as a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits in an ice basin.

After a few rounds of drinks, Xue Pan's face was flushed and he grabbed Qiu Rou's jade wrist, laughing, "Sing me a song you composed, and I'll drink three bowls in a row, how about that?"

Qiu Rou covered her mouth and laughed, "Master, you must keep your word."

Having said that, she took out her zither and gently strummed the strings, singing: "My lovely lover is hard to part with, thinking of you yet unable to let go of him. One is like a jade tree in the wind, the other like the morning glow in the sun. Last night, they made a secret vow by the Peony Pavilion, one wanting to steal a kiss, the other waiting to be caught. If that person catches them, how will they win the case?"

After finishing his song, he pushed the wine cup aside and said, "Please keep your promise, Master Xue."

Xue Pan downed a whole sea of ​​wine, then smacked his lips and said, "This song isn't worth three seas, one sea is enough. You must sing an even better one, and I'll drink two more seas. How about that?"

Qiu Rou smiled and said, "If you want to hear something even better, you'll have to go to Qimeng Courtyard."

Pei Ze, standing nearby, chuckled, "Let's play a simple game. Nothing too difficult—say the four characters 'wind,' 'flower,' 'snow,' and 'moon,' and each quote a line from an ancient poem, explaining the author. Drink a cup, then point to something on the table and quote another line from an ancient poem. Whoever fails will be punished with three large seas. How about it?"

Wang Long and Lai Shangrong echoed in unison.

Xue Pan jumped up and down in a panic: "Isn't this deliberately making things difficult for me?"

Qiu Rou pressed him down to sit and said, "My lord, you usually call yourself the Immortal of Wine, why are you so timid today?" As she spoke, she secretly pinched him.

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Lai Shangrong began to speak: "Wind - the gentle breeze blowing on the face, like the willow breeze, by Monk Zhinan; Flowers - thousands upon thousands of blossoms weighing down the branches, by Du Fu; Snow - the window framing the eternal snow of the Western Mountains, also by Du Fu; Moon - the bright moon over the sea rising with the tide, by Zhang Ruoxu."

Lai Shangrong drank from the cup, pointed at the watermelon, and said, "Green vines lie on the soft sand, defying the frost; year after year, watermelons are eaten everywhere."

When it was Wang Long's turn, he stroked his short beard and said: "Wind - A long wind carries wild geese for thousands of miles, Li Bai; Flower - Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of beauty, also Li Bai; Snow - Fishing alone in the cold river snow, Liu Zihou; Moon - Dew is like pearls, moon is like a bow, Bai Juyi."

After drinking from the cup, he pointed to a plate of tender lotus root and said, "Red hands, icy bowl of lotus root; icy bowl of lotus root, red hands."

Qiu Rou parted her lips slightly: "Wind—The east wind blew again last night in the small building, Li Houzhu; Flower—The flowers fall helplessly, Yan Tongshu; Snow—Plum blossoms must concede three parts whiteness to snow, Lu Meipo; Moon—The bright moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges, Du Mu."

After drinking a cup of wine, he picked up a lychee and said, "A rider in the dust brings a smile to the face of the imperial concubine."

In early June, fresh lychees from the south were already available in Jiangning City, though they were still very scarce. Taiyuanlou, as expected of a top-class restaurant on the banks of the Qinhuai River, actually served fresh lychees to its guests, but the price was shockingly high.

Qiu Rou loves lychees, so Xue Pan specially ordered fresh lychees for her.

It was Xue Pan's turn.

Xue Pan scratched his head for a while, then suddenly shouted, "Wind—the wind rises and the clouds fly, Xiang Yu!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Xue Pan glared at him and said, "What are you laughing at? Is there something wrong with that?"

Qiu Rou smiled and said, "This belongs to Liu Bang!"

Xue Pan, feeling frustrated, continued, "Flowers—how many flowers have fallen, Meng Haoran; snow—how many snows have fallen, also Meng Haoran; moon—the moon sets…the moon sets and crows fly all over the sky, still Meng Haoran."

Everyone was laughing so hard that they were rolling on the ground.

Qiu Rou spat out, "What kind of nonsense is this!"

Xue Pan retorted, his neck stiff, "You don't understand!"

Then, pointing to the wine, he smiled at Qiu Rou and said, "A thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with Qiu Rou."

Pei Ze gave the final toast: "Wind - Spring breeze does not reach Yumen Pass, Wang Jiling; Flower - Peach blossoms and human face reflect each other's redness, Cui Yingong; Snow - Snow flies in the eighth month of the lunar calendar in the northern lands, Cen Jiazhou; Moon - The moon has its phases of waxing and waning, Su Dongpo."

After drinking from the cup, he pointed to a plate of perch on the table and said, "People coming and going on the river all love the deliciousness of perch."

As everyone was drinking and playing drinking games, Xue Pan suddenly remembered something, put down his cup, and asked Qiu Rou with a grin, "Will Miss Qing from your Qimeng Courtyard perform on stage today?"

Qiu Rou was pouring wine when she heard this. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, and she lightly tapped Xue Pan's forehead with her slender finger, scolding, "Master Xue, you have no conscience! Having me to drink and have fun with is not enough for you, but you're already thinking about other people?"

Lai Shangrong was raising his cup to drink when he heard this and was taken aback. He asked, "Who is this Miss Qing? Why is Brother Xue so concerned about her?"

Pei Ze waved his folding fan and laughed, "Brother Lai, you may not know this, but this Miss Qing is named Jing Qing. She is the top courtesan of Qimeng Courtyard. Although she is a courtesan, she only sells her art. She is proficient in all the arts, especially singing, and she is also blessed with a beautiful and ethereal appearance. However—" He paused slightly and said meaningfully, "If you want to redeem her, you will need eight thousand taels of silver."

"Eight thousand taels of silver?" Lai Shangrong was so shocked that his wine cup trembled and he almost spilled the wine. "What kind of courtesan is worth this much? Even the most popular courtesan in the capital city would only cost three to five thousand taels to redeem herself!"

Wang Long interjected, “Brother Lai, don’t be alarmed. This Miss Qing is indeed extraordinary. She was originally a young lady from an official family, but after her family was raided, she ended up in a brothel. She is incredibly talented and as beautiful as a fairy. Even if an ordinary person spent a fortune to buy her smile, they might not be able to win her favor. Therefore, her price is extremely high, and only the wealthy dare to inquire about her. She has been asking for a price for a month now, but no one has actually bought her.”

Xue Pan clicked his tongue and sighed, "I do want to, but I've spent a lot of money these past two years, and my mother is keeping a tight rein on things. I can't come up with eight thousand taels of silver anytime soon." With that, he took a swig of wine in silence.

Seeing his reaction, Qiu Rou smiled and said, "Since you miss Sister Qing so much, why don't you go to Qimeng Courtyard tonight? It's her singing and playing performance today, and I guarantee you'll be amazed."

Xue Pan went to Qimeng Courtyard tonight; he's definitely going to spend a lot of money on Qiu Rou. That's why Qiu Rou said that on purpose.
Upon hearing this, Xue Pan immediately perked up and slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Exactly! Since Brother Lai has never seen it before, why don't we go and take a look together?"

Lai Shangrong was already curious, so he readily agreed upon hearing this.

Wang Long and Pei Ze were going to come along, since they were spending Xue Pan's money anyway, so they figured they might as well go.

……

……

That evening, Xue Pan, Lai Shangrong, Wang Long, Pei Ze and their group arrived at Qimeng Courtyard.

All that could be seen were vermilion buildings and embroidered doors, brightly lit, with carriages and horses bustling in front of the gates.

Upon entering the courtyard, the madam greeted them with a beaming smile, "Oh my, Master Xue, Master Wang, Master Pei, what brings the three of you here together today?" She then looked at Lai Shangrong, "This gentleman is a stranger."

"This is Grandpa Lai," Xue Pan introduced simply, then waved his hand and said, "Enough talk, is Miss Qing about to go on stage?"

The madam laughed and said, "That's right! Miss Qing will be playing the zither and singing at 'Tinghe Pavilion' later. Gentlemen, if you want a good spot, you'd better hurry."

Xue Pan said, "Call Qiu Rou to keep me company, and also call three other pretty girls to accompany me."

The group was then led to Tinghe Pavilion, which was situated by the Qinhuai River and was elegantly furnished. In the center stood a rosewood zither stand, and several tables and chairs were set up on three sides, where there were already quite a few guests. Soon, Qiu Rou and three other courtesans came over and sat at Xue Pan's table.

Before long, the beaded curtain was gently rolled up, and a subtle fragrance wafted in. Jing Qing emerged, her lotus-like steps light and graceful. Truly, she was like: distant mountains, her eyebrows shrouded in misty green; her eyes, like autumn waters, reflecting clear blue waves; her dark hair loosely tied in a languid bun, adorned with a single white hairpin; her wide, white sleeves danced in the wind, further highlighting her icy skin and jade-like bones; her movements were like flowing wind and swirling snow, graceful and elegant; her gaze was like the morning glow reflecting on snow, radiant and captivating.

Upon first sight, Lai Shangrong was so stunned that he forgot to breathe, feeling as if the entire room had been illuminated. He was secretly amazed: "Truly, her reputation is well-deserved! Such beauty is clearly that of a fairy from the Jade Palace descended to the mortal world, a jade maiden from the Heavenly Terrace descended to earth!"

Jing Qing curtsied to the crowd and gracefully sat down before the zither. Her slender hand rose slightly, her fingertips trembling briefly on the icy strings, and a clear melody flowed from her fingertips. At first, it was like a trickling spring in a secluded valley, melodious and gentle; then it was like the sound of pine trees rustling across a mountain ridge, chilling and refreshing. As the melody stabilized, her lips parted slightly, and a song began, like celestial music from beyond the clouds, or the sound of a flute under the moon:
"Once a maid who swept the dark green of the South Tower, she arranged jade pendants under the crimson gauze window."

A silk handkerchief secretly binds words of longing; a white-armored hand casually knocks on the jade door.

Starlight shatters, moonlight shines anew, and shimmering light falls halfway onto the pomegranate-red skirt.

The incense of my heart has not yet faded with the lamp's ashes; half a face of rouge bears the marks of the night.

A performance of "Partridge Sky," with lyrics written by Jing Qing herself, brought the entire hall to a complete silence.

Although Xue Pan was a rough and boorish man, he couldn't help but stop laughing and staring blankly at the figure in front of the zither, not even noticing that half of the wine cup in his hand had been spilled.

When the music ended, everyone seemed to wake from a dream and cheered.

Wang Long chuckled softly and asked Lai Shangrong, "Brother Lai, do you now understand why this woman is so valuable?"

Lai Shangrong nodded, utterly amazed. He had witnessed firsthand what it meant to be a courtesan whose smile was priceless. He felt that Jing Qing was like a fairy in a dream, and the scene of Jing Qing playing the zither and singing was like a dreamlike illusion.

Xue Pan stared blankly at Jing Qing and sighed softly, "Unfortunately, I really can't scrape together eight thousand taels of silver anytime soon!" After sighing, he immediately deflated and downed half a cup of wine in silence.

Qiu Rou, who was listening nearby, chuckled and whispered in Xue Pan's ear, "Master Xue may not be able to come up with eight thousand taels of silver, but he should be able to come up with four thousand, right? As long as it's four thousand taels of silver, you can redeem me."

Xue Pan coughed lightly and laughed, "Do you really think I'm stupid?"

Qiu Rou was also talented and beautiful, but she was far inferior to Jing Qing in both looks and background. Moreover, she was not a courtesan.

Qiu Rou snorted softly, thinking to herself, "You're not stupid, you're just dumb!"

That night, Xue Pan, Lai Shangrong, Wang Long, and Pei Ze all slept and enjoyed themselves at Qimeng Courtyard, but none of them had Jing Qing by their side.

Xue Pan paid for all four people's expenses...

……

……

Not to mention that Lai Shangrong was fooling around with Xue Pan in Jiangning.

Now, let's talk about Jia Zhen.

One day in mid-June, Jia Zhen finally returned to the capital city, more than a year after he was flogged eighty times last year and sent to the coastal frontier to serve as atonement.

On this day, the capital city was shrouded in continuous rain. The leaden-gray clouds hung extremely low, and the rain, like mist, enveloped the vermilion gates of the Rongguo Mansion.

A carriage rolled over the wet flagstones and slowly came to a stop in front of the mansion.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Jia Zhen leaned out. Jia Rong quickly stepped forward to help him up with an umbrella. Although Jia Rong was feeling guilty and terrified, he still pretended to be a filial son.

Jia Lian was already waiting under the eaves. When he saw Jia Zhen get out of the carriage, he hurriedly went up to him, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Brother Zhen, you must be tired from your journey! It's been more than a year since you came back!"

Jia Zhen's complexion was sallow, and his eyes were sunken. Compared to before he was sent to the coastal frontier, he looked more than ten years older. He was already weak from excessive drinking and womanizing. After being flogged at eighty last year and exiled to the coastal frontier, he fell ill and suffered from the disease for more than a year. Recently, he had also traveled thousands of miles back to the capital, so his health was naturally not good.

Jia Zhen forced a smile: "Second Brother Lian, how have you been?" His voice was hoarse, like a dull knife sharpening a stone.

Jia Lian stole a glance, secretly alarmed. The once powerful and domineering head of the Ningguo Mansion now resembled a frail old man.

However, because of his guilty conscience, Jia Lian felt that when Jia Zhen looked at him, his cloudy eyes seemed to flash with a sharp glint like a hawk's, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

"Father, watch out for the steps."

Jia Rong lowered his head and obediently helped Jia Zhen up, but his palms were sweating.

……

……

Inside Rongqing Hall, Grandmother Jia, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, Li Wan, Wang Xifeng, Xichun, and others were waiting for Jia Zhen.

Wang Xifeng was heavily pregnant, less than a month away from giving birth. Yet, she couldn't resist going to Rongqing Hall to see Jia Zhen.

At this moment, Jia Lian led Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, who was supporting Jia Zhen, into the hall.

Jia Zhen bowed tremblingly to Grandmother Jia: "This unworthy descendant pays respects to our late grandmother..."

Grandmother Jia looked closely and was stunned—this was no longer the dashing and debonair Zhen-ge'er she remembered.

"Zhen-ge'er!" Grandmother Jia felt a pang of pity. "How did you end up like this?"

Madam Xing covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

Madam Wang began to move the prayer beads.

Li Wan lowered her head, finding Jia Zhen's sickly appearance somewhat jarring. She couldn't help but recall that her late husband, Jia Zhu, had looked similar before his death, and a wave of grief washed over her.

Even the ruthless Wang Xifeng felt sorry for Jia Zhen. She stole glances at Jia Lian and then at Jia Rong, and seeing the two handsome men putting on a brave face, she sneered inwardly: "Let's see how you clean up this mess when things get out!"

Grandmother Jia asked Jia Zhen to sit down and talk.

After Jia Zhen sat down, Grandmother Jia beckoned to Xi Chun and said, "Fourth Sister, your brother is back. Why don't you come forward and greet him?"

Xi Chun and Jia Zhen are far apart in age, yet she is Jia Zhen's younger sister. Raised in the Rongguo Mansion since childhood, she developed a withdrawn and aloof personality and disliked Jia Zhen.

With a detached air, Xichun slowly stepped forward and gave Jia Zhen a slight curtsy: "Greetings, brother."

Jia Zhen's throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but he could only manage to squeeze out, "My sister has grown taller."

Xi Chun pursed her lips, but her expression quickly returned to its indifferent state as she returned to her original position.

Jia Zhen recounted his experiences over the past year to his grandmother, seemingly confiding in an elder.

After he finished speaking, Grandmother Jia told him to go home and rest.

Jia Zhen did not forget Jia She and made a special trip to Jia She's courtyard.

Jia She was drinking and making merry with his two concubines in his room when he heard that Jia Zhen had come to the Rongguo Mansion. He wanted to avoid seeing him, but since Jia Zhen had already arrived in his courtyard, he had no choice but to reluctantly meet him.

Jia She, reeking of alcohol and with a flushed face, forced himself to maintain the demeanor of an elder, stroking his beard as he said, "Zhen-ge'er, now that you're back, things will get better again. Our family is different from those poor, humble families. Even if we've lost our official titles for a time, our family's foundation is still a hundred times stronger than theirs!"

(End of this chapter)