Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 365 With a fortune in money, we can work together.

The brothel of Lü He's family was not large, covering only a few acres. In the center of the courtyard, a pavilion rose from the ground, which was the main place for receiving guests and performing songs and dances. The first floor received casual guests and held regular performances, while the second floor entertained VIPs, and the performances were more exquisite and gorgeous.

The brothels in the two capitals were very similar in architectural layout, the only difference being that the brothels in Chang'an had a richer variety of performers and entertainment.

Lü He herself was a freelancer in Yichun Courtyard, skilled in both singing and dancing. The entertainers she recruited included not only Han women from Qin Chuan, but also women from Western Regions, Silla, Southeast Asian women, and other ethnic minorities, making the brothel a unique blend of Chinese and foreign elements, which was a major selling point of the brothel.

After everyone was seated in the second-floor hall, the first performance was the lively and cheerful Hu Xuan dance.

Several beautiful women dressed in colorful skirts twirled and danced in the hall. Their wide skirts bloomed like flowers as they danced, revealing their long, slender, and delicate legs, as pink as jade calyxes, which dazzled the audience and drew cheers.

When Hu women dance, they usually have no skirt underneath and their long legs are exposed, which is also a sign of their promiscuity.

They often migrated with caravans, either as commodities or as vassals. If they could not directly demonstrate their advantages or arouse the lust of their fellow travelers, they would usually be abandoned when they encountered difficulties.

However, as Hu people's songs and dances gradually entered the mainstream, these unseemly customs gradually changed. Now, only in these brothels and entertainment venues can one appreciate relatively authentic Hu women's performances, which are explicit in appearance and alluring in their seductive manner.

Among the musicians under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, there were many Hu women performers. In recent years, it has become a popular trend for Hu dance and music to be revamped into banquet music. Because of his position, Zhang Dai also enjoyed many of the best Hu women song and dance performances of the time.

But now, sitting in the hall of the brothel watching these Hu women perform, there are still obvious mistakes such as rushing or missing the beat. But Zhang Dai still has to sigh that compared with snow-white and slender legs, the skill of the technique is really not very important.

The people in the hall were enjoying the song and dance performance, but the shouts outside disturbed their enjoyment. Zhang Dai raised his hand and gestured for Yin Huan, who was guarding the stairwell, to go downstairs and see who the other person was.

Sitting by the window, the sage's younger cousin, Dou E, leaned out and shouted down, "Which dog is howling downstairs! Zhang Liu, is that you? If we know each other, come upstairs. If we don't, get out of here!"

The playboys of Chang'an were known for their frivolous, impetuous, and unpretentious nature. As soon as Dou E's shout rang out, the commotion downstairs immediately subsided. The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier looked ashamed and angry, and then shouted angrily, "Zhang Dai, what kind of villains have you mistakenly associated with? Wait until I go upstairs, and I'll make you pay!"

Seeing that Dou E was about to glare and curse back, Zhang Dai gave Li Xia a look. Li Xia immediately stepped forward and covered his mouth. At this moment, Yin Huan also hurriedly returned and whispered to Zhang Dai, "Master, the guests downstairs are Pei, the Minister of War, and several of his friends."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately stood up and gestured for everyone to wait upstairs. He then called his cousin Zhang Yu to come downstairs to greet them.

At this moment, the middle-aged man also arrived at the front of the building, his face still full of anger. Zhang Dai quickly strode forward to greet him, raised his hand and bowed, saying, "Today, my cousin has led his disciples from Luoyang to the capital, so I have come here to welcome and entertain him. I did not know that Master Pei was inside, and I was unable to come forward to greet him. I am truly sorry to have troubled Master Pei to come here!"

As he spoke, he introduced the visitor to his cousin. The visitor was Pei Dunfu, the former military advisor of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Last year, he had taken Zhang Dai's examination in Luoyang and selected him as the top candidate in the Jingzhao Prefecture examination, so Zhang Dai also referred to him as his mentor.

Although the position of the examiner in the prefectural examination is much less significant than that in the provincial examination, it is still a matter of friendship. Moreover, Zhang Dai's experience in the prefectural examination was unusual, as it was not only an additional test at the last minute, but Pei Dunfu also faced pressure from the prime minister to select Zhang Dai as the head examiner of the Jingzhao Prefecture, which deepened their friendship.

Pei Dunfu's expression softened when he saw that Zhang Dai's attitude in greeting him was quite respectful and polite. He first nodded in response to Zhang Yu's greeting, and then said to Zhang Dai, "I was having a gathering with my friends at the Quli Villa when I heard that Zongzhi was playing Quli, so I came to see you. Zongzhi, you are talented and ambitious, but you must be careful in your friendships. Don't make friends with the wicked and implicate yourself."

"I will remember your teachings, Master. The few people gathered here are not strangers. Besides a few family members, there are the sons of Prince Xin'an, Duke Dou Bi, and Vice Minister Pei of the Ministry of War. My disciples have been unruly and disrespectful. Please allow me to apologize to you again, Master!"

As he spoke, Zhang Dai bowed and smiled at Pei Dunfu.

Pei Dunfu's official career had been going well in recent years. After completing his term as the Prefect of Jingzhao, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Not long after, he was selected to enter the Ministry of War and served as an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War. As a result, his temperament became more and more arrogant.

But when he heard that the families of the people in the hall were all people he couldn't afford to offend, and that there was even the son of his superior, Pei Guangting, his expression changed slightly. He stopped mentioning the offense he had just committed and went upstairs laughing and chatting.

When the people upstairs saw Zhang Dai leading Pei Dunfu and the others up the stairs, they all stood up to greet them. Zhang Dai also said with a smile, "Which of you spoke disrespectfully just now? Master Pei is magnanimous and will forgive this small mistake with a laugh, but you should still apologize to him in person."

Although Dou E was a reckless and unruly man, he didn't want to cause trouble for Zhang Dai. Upon hearing this, he was about to step forward to offer some perfunctory response when a manager from the brothel suddenly knelt before Pei Dunfu's feet, slapping his own face and repeatedly bowing, saying, "It's all my fault, this lowly servant! When have we ever had so many distinguished guests visiting our establishment? I lost my composure for a moment, I deserve to die!" "You insolent servant, get out! Don't keep me here to serve at the banquet!"

Zhang Dai laughed and cursed, took out a gold coin weighing several ounces from his silver-ringed pouch and tossed it onto the man's shoulder. He then waved the man away and invited Pei Dunfu to take a seat, and ordered several more seats to be set up for his companions.

"So it turns out that Master Pei is the same scholar who selected Zhang Liu as the head examiner last year. Among us, Zhang Liu is the most talented. Master Pei, you have a discerning eye. I respect you!"

When Zhang Dai introduced Pei Dunfu's identity and their past relationship to everyone, Dou E, who had been silent all along, stepped forward with a large bowl of wine and downed it in one gulp. Pei Dunfu was taken aback at first, but then he understood and stopped worrying about the past. He picked up his wine cup and sipped it to keep him company.

The banquet continued, and the courtesans downstairs took turns performing. The courtyard of Lü He's family was still bustling with activity. At present, candidates for the imperial examinations and those who had passed the imperial examinations gathered in the capital, and these people were also the main force of those who frequented brothels. Since many courtesans from the Three Songs had come to Lü He's house to perform, they naturally followed them there as well.

Upon learning of this situation, Zhang Dai arranged to reward the female entertainers who had finished their performances and to allow them to return home and entertain guests as soon as possible. He also had some food and drink provided to the crowds gathered outside the building, trying his best not to provoke any resentment.

These literati are scathing in their writings; if they were to feel oppressed and wronged, and were to produce a few poems satirizing their own debauchery, they would be utterly speechless. They must be made to submit to their own whims; once they are well-fed and clothed, their creative drive will drastically diminish.

The performance upstairs continued, and finally it was Su Timo's turn to perform, which Pei Zhen had been longing for. Pei Zhen perked up and stared intently at the dancer's every move.

Ti Mo was a dancer during the Warring States period, presented to King Zhao of Yan by the state of Guangyan. She was skilled in performing dances such as "Ying Chen," "Ji Yu," and "Xuan Huai," all of which, judging from their names, evoke extremely light and graceful movements. This Su Ti Mo, who adopted these names, was clearly also adept at this type of performance.

The dancer was not tall and her appearance was not outstanding, but when she danced, she seemed to transform into a wisp of willow catkins, and the cheers around her were like a spring breeze, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

This clump of willow catkins danced and twirled lightly in the wind, as if it had broken free from the constraints of gravity. Although the rhythm of the dance was not fast, it was captivating enough to hold one's eyes captive.

This made Zhang Dai sigh inwardly, realizing that the superb dance skills ultimately prevailed over the snow-white thighs, or perhaps it was simply a matter of two different sensory experiences. No wonder Pei Zhen couldn't forget her.

After Su Timo finished her dance, everyone still felt that it was not enough. However, they saw that the dancer was covered in sweat, which showed that the dance, which seemed light and graceful, actually consumed a lot of physical strength. So they did not force the dancer to continue performing and let her go downstairs to rest.

The performance that followed gradually became mediocre, and the audience shifted from appreciating the songs and dances to chatting among themselves. Zhang Dai naturally brought up his plan to start a business with Pei Zhen, and sure enough, Li Xia and the others were greatly excited upon hearing this: "We have known Zhang Liu for a long time. How can we pass up such a good opportunity!"

"Whether it's a good thing or not is too early to say. If those involved are not focused and unwilling to put in the effort, even the best plans will inevitably fail. If you want to participate, you must first show an attitude of being able to concentrate on the task. Pei Lang has already prepared 20,000 strings of cash, and I'm not asking you to contribute more, but at least each of you should contribute 10,000 strings!"

Zhang Dai looked at the enthusiastic group and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the men immediately looked troubled. Li Xia, in particular, said dejectedly, "Do you think I'm worth ten thousand coins? Let's find a good place to sell me! If I had money, why would I bother to find work?"

Zhang Dai knew exactly what kind of people these guys were. Although they came from respectable families, they also had a lot of siblings. In particular, their elders were in charge of the household and wouldn't let them squander their family fortune. Apart from their decent outfits, they were probably penniless. Asking them to come up with 10,000 strings of cash was simply a pipe dream.

That's why these guys are more likely to stick together. You don't have to rely on them for big things, but they're generally capable of handling things like running errands and building relationships.

Zhang Dai asked them to each contribute a large sum of money, partly to make Pei Zhen feel more at ease, and partly to enhance their sense of participation and responsibility, so that they wouldn't give up on the task because they found it boring.

“I know you are all penniless, so I can act as your guarantor to lend you money from the pawnshops in both cities. As for the interest, it will be covered by next year’s profit sharing. If you are willing, we can get things done tomorrow.”

Although Zhang Dai himself was wealthy, he would not lend money to them directly. The investment period for this matter was at least several years before it could yield profits. If there was no confidence and tacit understanding to work together from the beginning, then it was better not to work together at all, lest they not even be able to remain friends in the future.

(End of this chapter)