Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 225 Luoyang Dongshe Mei Wang Chang

From the outside, Song San Niang's house looked ordinary, but once you stepped into the courtyard, it was a completely different world.

Passing the screen wall at the entrance, one is greeted by a tall flower tower. Although this flower tower does not dare to have a double-eaved and bracketed structure, it is still decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and is quite magnificent.

The flower pavilion is the main performance and reception venue of the art gallery, and there are also many courtyards of different sizes around it for guests to stay for a long or short time.

The entire art gallery covers a very large area, easily accommodating hundreds of people for performances and entertainment at the same time.

In the Tang Dynasty, the size of a residence and the specifications of its buildings were closely related to the owner's status. Especially in Luoyang, where living space was already limited, even ordinary officials would find it difficult to own a residence of such a scale, let alone a courtesan like Song San Niang.

Although Zhang Dai had never been to Song San Niang's house, he knew some of her background. The true owner of this mansion was not Song San Niang, but the real imperial brother-in-law, Duke of Bi, Dou Xi Guan.

Recently, Dou Xiguan's son, Dou E, served as a mourner for the Prince of Qi along with Zhang Dai and others. During this time, he boasted to everyone how thriving his family's business was.

Li Xia, that brat, was making a ruckus recently, demanding that Zhang Dai invite boat girls to entertain guests. He was lured over by Dou E and got hooked on the taste, causing the Prince of Xin'an's efforts in educating him for over a decade to be wasted. He can truly be said to have gone astray in no time.

Surrounded by a group of courtesans, Zhang Dai headed straight for the brothel. Just as he entered, Li Yi grabbed him from behind, grinning lewdly, and gestured for him to follow her to a room on the side of the hall. He said to Zhang Dai, "Song San Niang has a collection of treasures in her room that she keeps secret. I only discovered them by chance. I must show them to you, Zhang Liu!"

To make it easier to manage the affairs of the brothel, Song San Niang lived in the back of the brothel. Li Yi had lived there for at least a month and was already very familiar with the place.

He quickly dragged Zhang Dai to the outside of Qixiang Pavilion, but instead of going inside, he pointed to a light gauze screen that could be seen at a glance inside the room and asked Zhang Dai, "Has Zhang Liu ever seen this?"

Zhang Dai looked closely and discovered that there was a poem embroidered with fine lines on the gauze screen. It was a seven-character regulated verse with rich and beautiful words, reminiscent of the style of the Six Dynasties, but it was a poem that Zhang Dai had never seen before.

He was wondering why Li Yi had specifically led him to see this when his gaze suddenly fell upon the signature, which read "Wang Sheng Zhang Shuo of Dongshe, Luoyang," and his face immediately darkened.

At this moment, Song San Niang hurried up from behind. Seeing the two standing at the door, a slight blush crept onto her dignified and plump face. But when her gaze fell upon the screen, a tender reminiscence flickered in her eyes: "In Yongchang's earlier years, when his skills were just beginning, he boldly stepped onto the stage to ask for gifts. At that time, Yan Gong was also young, and Wang Chang, the outstanding beauty of Luoyang..."

Why did they start singing while they were talking?
Hearing this, Zhang Dai felt increasingly uneasy. Wang Chang was not referring to a specific person, but rather a literary figure passed down from the Wei and Jin dynasties, roughly meaning a handsome man who lived in the east of Luoyang and was loved by everyone.

The so-called "Wang Sheng of Dongshe in Luoyang" is just such a scoundrel; to put it more bluntly, he's like Old Wang Zhang from next door.

Well, according to Song San Niang, this poem was written in the old days of Yongchang. At that time, her grandfather was the top scholar in the imperial examination and was famous throughout the country. It is understandable that he would give himself such a chuunibyou nickname to mingle in the pleasure quarters.

But Song San Niang's shy and timid expression left Zhang Dai feeling a bit bewildered. Why should I call you "Little Grandma"?
His feelings were extremely complicated. He then turned his gaze and glared at Li Yi. This bastard dragged him to a brothel, but ended up feeling an almost obscene sense of shame. What the hell was going on?

Song Sanniang noticed that Zhang Dai's mood was a bit off, so she quickly stepped forward and bowed her head, saying, "I am a daughter of a prostitute, born of lowly birth. I am fortunate to have been favored by you, sir, and cherished. This has been a comfort to me throughout my life. If you, Sixth Brother, have offended me, I will keep this from now on and never show it to anyone again. I only beg that you allow me to stay with you after my death."

Although the pleasure quarters are said to be ruthless, Zhang Dai was still slightly moved when he heard Song San Niang ask him to allow her to keep the poem so that it could be buried with her after her death.

"Song San Niang, you flatter me. Everyone has a love for beauty. It's hard to resist the longing and admiration. The story from that time is still vivid in my mind; it's a sentiment and a secret shared by people back then. It's unforgettable, but hard to tell others."

Even his grandfather didn't send anyone to retrieve the poem, so Zhang Dai naturally wouldn't be so rigid and meddlesome. So he smiled and said, "Kings and commoners alike are destined to become withered bones. As the seasons change and days and nights are separated, the bonds of affection remain unbroken. Now that I've entered this world, I'm not a slave to outdated etiquette. People of that time had their own sentiments, and people of this world have their own interests."

Song San Niang was initially uneasy, but upon hearing Zhang Dai's words, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "Sixth Brother's refined taste and open-mindedness, his words are always insightful, truly delightful, he has indeed surpassed his teacher..."

This was originally just a common compliment, but after Zhang Dai read the love poem his grandfather wrote to Song Xiangqing, he felt something was off.

He turned and walked away, pointing at Li Yi and laughing at Song San Niang, "Today we've come here to celebrate our fellow graduates passing the exam. All expenses for food and drink will be settled by our families another day. Only Li Shiqi is truly wicked; he must pay for all his own expenses!" "Zhang Liu, Zhang Bixian, Brother Zhang Xian, Liu Lang, I was wrong, I was truly wrong! My travel bag is empty these days; if you don't help me, I fear I'll never be able to redeem myself!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yi hurriedly ran up to Zhang Dai, grabbed his sleeve, and put on a fawning smile.

When the group returned to the brothel, everyone was already seated, and a singing and dancing performance had begun on stage.

Song San Niang personally escorted Zhang Dai to his seat, then beckoned two graceful and beautiful young girls to sit down and serve him. She then smiled and said to Zhang Dai, "These two young ladies are girls I have adopted in recent years. They have not yet performed on stage. If they are favored by Liu Lang, it will be their good fortune."

At this moment, a commotion broke out outside the brothel, and servants rushed in to report that women from other families in the neighborhood had come to visit.

Upon hearing this report, Song Sanniang frowned. She then whispered in Zhang Dai's ear, "Chengfu Fang is full of courtesans of all kinds. Young master Liulang, you must not fall into their trap. If you wish to seek pleasure, come here. Any woman here who fails to serve you properly will be severely punished by me!"

Even in the world of pleasure, there are different classes, not only in terms of physical beauty and talent, but also in terms of morality and etiquette. Those who understand the rules are merely skilled at using their bodies to serve others; although there may be no true feelings involved, and relationships may end when money is spent, at least they know their place.

As for those who don't understand the rules, there are many more tricks. For example, in the famous Tang Dynasty legend "The Story of Li Wa", Xingyang Sheng was originally a noble young man who went to the capital to take the imperial examination. However, he mistakenly entered a brothel, abandoned everything, and was abandoned after running out of money. He ended up singing funeral songs and crying at graves to make a living.

Although Xingyang Sheng encountered a turning point in the story, in reality, the number of scholars who failed because of this every year was definitely not small.

Having been immersed in this world for many years, Song San Niang naturally knew all the ins and outs. Zhang Dai was a descendant of an old friend to her, and the Zhang family was a powerful local force in Luoyang. Naturally, she didn't want Zhang Dai to be misled by beauty and go astray, so she couldn't help but remind him.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Song. I'm just here today to enjoy myself with my fellow students. I'm usually too busy with my studies to linger here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai laughed and said that he was not the type to be easily swayed by minor figures, and he had a clear understanding of these tricks in the entertainment industry, so he would not easily fall into them.

Song San Niang agreed. She had met the other members of the Zhang family a few times, but this was the first time she had seen Zhang Dai here. She thought he must be a dignified and cautious person, not a frivolous and dissolute playboy.

So she stopped talking and refrained from arguing. To allow Zhang Dai to enjoy himself even more, she had all the courtesans outside the building brought in for the guests to choose from.

With the arrival of numerous beautiful women, the brothel felt cramped again. So, Song San Niang decided to have the painted boat in the backyard decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers for another performance.

The painted boat is moored on the south bank of Xintan. A large floating platform made of bamboo and wood is connected to the art gallery on the shore. When the lanterns are lit up, the place is instantly transformed into a fairyland.

Zhang Dai and his companions boarded the painted boat and sat on the deck, drinking wine and looking down. On the floating platform adorned with lanterns, performers dressed in their finest attire took to the stage to perform, some dancing gracefully, others singing loudly. Each had their own unique skills, making for a truly spectacular show.

The two young girls that Song San Niang specially arranged to serve Zhang Dai were like two little enchantresses, nestled softly beside him, each with their own seductive abilities, which made Zhang Dai's heart burn even brighter. He drank the sweet fruit wine one cup after another like a beverage, but he became more and more thirsty. The wine, as a medium for lust, made his heart fire burn even brighter, and the two soft jades beside him were like cupping clear spring water in his hands.

At home, he would often be intimate with Ah Ying, and the young woman would fawn over him without any resistance. But now that he was in this world of pleasure, he couldn't help but sigh that the atmosphere here was indeed different from that of a foreign land.

Although the two young girls had not yet received their hair ornaments, their alluring charm was already overflowing. While he was still able to maintain his composure and watch the play with his cup in hand, half of his fellow students at the other tables had quietly disappeared, and inside the painted boat, the night wind hummed and crackled as the water on the shore lapped against the deck.

After watching several more performances, Zhang Dai's eyes were also a little dazed. He was about to get up and leave his seat to rest when he turned his gaze and caught sight of a somewhat familiar figure in the corner of the floating platform below.

A thought suddenly struck him. He temporarily released the two women beside him, disembarked from the pleasure boat, and headed straight for a corner of the floating platform. Just then, he saw a tall man in a blue round-necked robe hurriedly backing away. He quickly called out in a low voice, "Stop!"

The man couldn't dodge in time and could only stand still. Zhang Dai took another step forward and carefully examined the man from the side by the flickering light of the lantern. He realized that he hadn't made a mistake and immediately asked with a surprised look, "What are you doing here, sister-in-law?"

(End of this chapter)