Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 364 A group of beautiful and pitiful women

Upon hearing this, everyone retreated to the side with regretful expressions. This Zhang Liulang was dashing and handsome beyond compare, young, rich, and charming. More importantly, he was also the Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. His thoughts and actions could determine their fate. He was a first-class patron in the pleasure quarters and naturally attracted the covetousness of others.

Upon learning that Zhang Dai was walking through the winding alley, some courtesans who had not yet put on makeup and were too ashamed to be seen began to sing loudly behind their respective windows, hoping to attract Zhang Dai's attention and perhaps even spend the night with him.

Although he lived in Pingkangfang, this was Pei Zhen's first time visiting Sanqu. He looked at everything with surprise, especially when he heard the various clear and melodious sounds from the pavilions on both sides, some singing loudly and others calling out to Zhang Lang. He couldn't help but exclaim, "So Liu Lang is so highly regarded in this world of pleasure. No wonder he is so insightful and gave me such profound advice."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled again. This scion of a noble family was not ignorant of worldly affairs. Before, he had addressed Zhang Liu casually, but now he called him Liu Lang affectionately.

Before he could answer, Pei Zhen leaned closer and whispered to him, "Since you, Sixth Brother, are so highly regarded here, do you know of a courtesan named Su Timo in the Central Opera? Could you invite her to perform?"

"You've never performed the three dances, so how do you know the dancer's name?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was surprised and immediately looked at Pei Zhen and asked.

Pei Zhen blushed, then lowered his head and said, "Last year, I hosted a banquet at home and invited three famous courtesans to perform. I was standing in the hall when I was fortunate enough to witness Su Ti Mo's dance. I was amazed by it and still remember it vividly. So, so..."

After listening to Pei Zhen's account, Zhang Dai couldn't help but think more highly of him. He had previously thought that Pei Zhen was rather pedantic and rigid due to his family's strict upbringing, but now he felt that this young man was indeed quite principled.

What is most unbearable for young people is not having too many ideas or being weak and powerless, but rather the first stirrings of love and longing.

That kind of fervent longing for the opposite sex can burn everything. Even commoners' young men and women are often unable to resist their feelings and secretly taste the forbidden fruit. Pei Zhen, as a son of a powerful family, is in love with a prostitute and dancer. They live almost next door to each other, but he is able to restrain himself and keep his distance, refraining from visiting or playing with her. This character is indeed remarkable.

“This Su Ti Mo, whose stage name is Ke Cheng, is a famous courtesan with many patrons. I can send my family to inquire, but if she has an appointment and does not agree, I cannot force her.”

Zhang Dai summoned Ding Qing and instructed him to inquire at Su Timo's house, while he himself spoke to Pei Zhen.

Since ancient times, things have been valued for their rarity. Although the prostitutes in Pingkangfang were of lowly status, they had many suitors. When they started arguing and competing with each other, it was not uncommon for them to attract the attention of princes and nobles.

Therefore, there is an unspoken rule for entering this place for entertainment: first come, first served. Once a courtesan has an appointment with someone, no one else is allowed to interrupt or disturb her; otherwise, it is considered a very serious act of provocation.

The invitations to some of the most famous courtesans in the opera were often booked for months in advance, to the point that some would linger after their turn until they ran out of money and were kicked out. Some of the performers in the opera also used this as a way to raise their own value and attract wealthy patrons.

However, some truly famous courtesans, because they need to make sure they can spare time every day to entertain the powerful and wealthy who they cannot afford to offend and cannot refuse, usually do not accept too many invitations.

The brothel Zhang Dai was going to was owned by Lü He, who used to be a member of the Yichun Palace. A few years ago, he was released from the palace and began to take in women in the capital region, teaching them skills and running the brothel to make a living. Now he is quite famous in the capital and is a place that some noblemen like to frequent.

The reason why the brothel was so successful was not because the owner, Mr. Lü, was particularly clever in his business dealings, but mainly because he had powerful connections.

This Lü He was the sister-in-law of the Grand Eunuch Gao Lishi, and a distant cousin of Gao Lishi's wife, Lady Lü. That's why she was able to thrive in the chaotic Pingkang Ward after leaving the palace. Many fashionable people in the capital who dreamed of becoming brothers-in-law with Gao Lishi frequently visited her, spending lavishly there.

When Zhang Dai and his party arrived at the brothel, his cousin Zhang Yu and others were still sitting idly in the corridor waiting, and had not yet entered the hall to begin the banquet.

The men and women in the brothel, led by the owner Lü He, came out to greet him. Lü He went straight up and took his arm, laughing and scolding, "Sixth Master, you haven't come for days, making me so lovesick that I've lost weight! You must stay at my house tonight, lest I be ridiculed by the people in the brothel as a withered old branch that can't roost a phoenix!"

"Auntie is in the prime of her youth, who dares to mock her for being old? Today, my family has come to the capital, and this is the first place we will entertain them, because the scenery here is so enchanting, a moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

Zhang Dai felt the plump, soft flesh at his elbow and said with a smile.

This Lü He was not very old, not yet thirty. She had a graceful figure, a curvaceous body, a beautiful face, and a seductive charm, looking even more beautiful than the daughters she had adopted. She was in her prime, and with the added status of being Gao Lishi's sister-in-law, she was even more alluring and captivating.

Zhang Dai frequently visited Gao Lishi's house and had heard that when Lü He was released from her post, she was supposed to marry the second wife of a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty, but the official died before marriage, so the marriage was put on hold. Lü He went from being a promising wife of a high-ranking official to a successful businesswoman in Pingkangfang, a change of fortune that evokes sighs.

Hearing Zhang Dai's praise, Lü He smiled even more broadly: "Among the guests who come and go here, the one who is most pleasing to the eye is none other than Sixth Brother! Every evening when Sixth Brother visits, one is so captivated by the sweet aftertaste that one forgets all the lingering pleasure, wishing one could give oneself to him body and soul and go with him!"

Although there are established rules of social interaction in the entertainment industry, Lü He spoke with a captivating gaze, seemingly overflowing with genuine emotion, as if she were revealing her innermost feelings, which stirred the heart and sparked endless imagination. Zhang Dai also enjoyed this flattery, after all, providing emotional value is an important aspect of the service industry.

When Lü He turned to instruct the servants to continue arranging the hall, he approached the somewhat uneasy Pei Zhen and said with a smile, "Now that you're here, Pei Lang, why not relax a bit? Every touching sentiment here needs a matching gift in return. Your solemn demeanor here is tantamount to melting down my money and silk!"

"I, I also envy your ease and comfort, Liu Lang, but when I think of those women's laughter and flattery, all of which are insincere, I feel very uncomfortable and can't help but feel disgusted by them."

Pei Zhen lowered his head and said softly.

"If you enter a brothel, as long as you have money in your pocket, you can get a meal and drinks. If you enter a brothel, as long as you have money in your pocket, you can get endless affection. Let alone the men and women who buy pleasure here, even among married couples, how many can remain faithful to each other until the end?"

Zhang Dai also felt that this expression of a prodigal son's feelings was biased, overly extreme and pessimistic, so he said with a smile: "The human heart is like an abyss, its depths are hard to fathom, which is why we must carefully hone our ability to distinguish truth from falsehood."

These women can please your mind and body, and enrich your experience; how could you possibly dislike them? Do you think their forced smiles are truly willing? In the imperial court, smiles conceal daggers, and power struggles and murders are commonplace; yet these women, with just a little money, can charm you with tender affection—truly pitiful and endearing.”

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's words, Pei Zhen frowned and pondered deeply, a fierce debate raging in his mind.

While the man was digesting the invitations, Zhang Dai had a servant from the brothel bring him paper and pen to write several more invitations.

Originally, he only wanted to entertain the weary travelers who had come to the capital, but now that Pei Zhen had taken the initiative to approach him, he simply invited a few more friends to get together and discuss the matter of leasing a mountain for tea cultivation.

Throughout history and across the world, if the right people are chosen, half the battle is won, and the other half is simply to reap the rewards of that success.

Zhang Dai had previous experience in leasing mountains in Luonan and had some understanding of the process. Those desolate mountains and wilderness areas may seem uninhabited, but if you really want to take them over, there will be many obstacles in the process.

The Zhang family were natives of Luoyang, and they had many relatives and friends who helped them out. In addition, Zhang Dai was not trying to get something for nothing; he was paying real money to secure the mountain, so things went smoothly.

However, this approach might not work smoothly in Guanzhong. The old money families in Guanzhong and Longxi are deeply entrenched in their own ways, making it almost impossible to bypass them and acquire land in the surrounding mountains of the capital region.

Therefore, if Zhang Dai wanted to establish a sizable tea plantation within the Great Wall, it would be best to attract some of the old money family members to join him.

Similarly, considering that the tea gardens will mainly profit from border trade in the future, the group of military meritorious nobles cannot be ignored. Moreover, as the Tang Dynasty accelerates its border expansion and expands its operations, the importance of this group will become increasingly greater.

Therefore, in addition to Pei Zhen, the future son of the prime minister, Zhang Dai also invited several of his cronies, including Li Xia and Dou E.

Li Xia, needless to say, saw his prestige soar after the Battle of Shibao City, making him the most decorated military figure among the imperial clan. Dou E, as the current emperor's younger cousin, and whose family represented the old money families of Guanzhong, would undoubtedly be of great help in the preparations.

Both the military nobility and the wealthy merchants of Guanzhong had their own solid base of interests, and Zhang Dai did not expect to win them over with the profits from the tea plantation business. However, the existence of this common cause provided a channel for in-depth communication between them.

Moreover, the distribution of benefits among the old money family members may not be entirely reasonable. Zhang Dai's tea garden does not belong to the traditional farming and weaving industry, but is an exploration of new areas of wealth. It will inevitably attract some aristocratic scions to join in and contribute their share.

Unlike Pei Zhen, who had a strict upbringing and high moral character, Li Xia and his ilk were dissolute young men who would flock to any place that smelled of sex. As soon as they received Zhang Dai's invitation, they rushed over from all over the city and then used Zhang Dai's name to invite famous courtesans from various brothels.

Although Zhang Dai was not among the most powerful people in Chang'an, his position as a music and dance master made him one of the leaders in charge of the entertainment industry. Wherever his invitation arrived, the courtesans of various brothels would try their best to come to Lü He's house to attend, unless they had special guests to entertain.

After these guys caused a ruckus, by the time the lanterns were lit, almost half of the courtesans from Sanqu had gathered at Lü He's house, including Su Timo, the dancer that Pei Zhen couldn't forget.

In no time, Lü He's small courtyard was transformed into a lush garden, and along with these beautiful flowers came a number of eager admirers.

"That Zhang Dai is only concerned with his own pleasure in his hall, while the surrounding area is deserted. Is that acceptable? Why don't you hurry up and go out to greet those disappointed guests elsewhere!"

Several more people entered the noisy courtyard, one of whom, a tall middle-aged man, shouted loudly towards the pavilion where the singing was going on.

(End of this chapter)