Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 478 Viewing a Multitude of Beauties
"This mere prostitute dares to overstep her bounds and indulge in such extravagance; truly, the world is going to the dogs and morality is declining!"

At Lu He's house in Pingkangfang, Song Hun was probably visiting for the first time. From the moment he entered, he stared wide-eyed at the various lavish decorations. After sitting down in the hall, he spoke in a deep voice with an indignant expression.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai laughed and said, "The Three Bends area is a place where frivolous young men indulge in pleasure. The winding alleys are not a place for discussing matters. Since Lord Song is unwilling to return home with me, we can only find this convenient place to stay for a while."

The owner of this place, Master Lü, was formerly a member of the Imperial Music Academy. His artistic talents were quite remarkable, and because he was a relative of General Gao, the Duke of Bohai, he received his patronage to acquire this property. I apologize for any intrusion on your part, Mr. Song, a man of refined character, and perhaps you find this frivolous and indulgent atmosphere distasteful. If you truly dislike the atmosphere here, you may seek elsewhere.

"Is this the property of the unfortunate sister-in-law of the Duke of Bohai?"

Upon hearing this, Song Hun's face immediately showed surprise, clearly indicating that he had also heard the story of Gao Lishi's sister-in-law. However, his expression quickly changed, and he said urgently, "I heard that Lady Lü, relying on her powerful family connections, has incredibly extravagant spending habits. I left home in haste, without taking any money or silk with me..."

"You need not worry about the expenses here, Lord Song. I also come and go here often, so I have some personal connections with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled and said that he hadn't been in contact with people like Song Hun for quite some time, and he still found it all rather novel.

Upon hearing this, Song Hun sighed sourly, "Yes, you are Zhang Yan's beloved grandson. You can come and go as you please in any brothel in the capital! Unlike some families who take it upon themselves to uphold morality and ethics. Even if they are powerful for a time, they still restrain themselves, observe etiquette, and do not overstep the bounds of propriety..."

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze suddenly fixed on Zhang Dai. Zhang Dai turned around and looked in the direction of his gaze, and saw Lü He, dressed in her finest attire, walking gracefully from outside the door.

The house of Lü He was quite popular. Since there was no prior notice, Zhang Dai arrived at dusk, and the other rooms in the house were already occupied by guests. Zhang Dai and Song Hun were then arranged to stay in Lü He's own boudoir.

After entertaining and appeasing the guests elsewhere, Lü He hurriedly arrived here. As soon as she entered, she nestled down next to Zhang Dai and said with a hint of reproach and coquettishness, "This heartless man is so troublesome. He can only stay for a few days and he still causes trouble. He only comes at night, which is annoying and impolite!"

Her tender and coquettish complaints were nothing compared to what made Song Hun stare even more intently, his eyes bulging so much that he almost pressed them against Lü He's delicate face and skin to caress her.

Not to mention the brooding and lustful Song Hun, even Zhang Dai sometimes found it hard to resist Lü He's boundless charm.

This woman was quite similar in age and appearance to her cousin, Madam Lü from Gao Lishi's family. However, Madam Lü was beautiful, charming, dignified, and graceful, while Lü He, having lived in the world of prostitution for a long time, was both gorgeous and seductive, quite different from a respectable woman. She exuded a captivating charm from head to toe.

Zhang Dai patted Lü He's hand to signal her to be more serious, then turned his gaze to Song Hun opposite him and said with a smile, "It is precisely because we have distinguished guests to entertain tonight that we have come to Auntie's place for leisure. This gentleman is the virtuous fourth son of Song Kaifu, the Duke of Guangping, who is not worthy of those common people outside."

"No wonder I saw a purple aura enter my house; it was actually a distinguished disciple of Governor Song who graced my humble abode..."

Lü He was naturally experienced in welcoming and seeing off guests, and with a few words, she made Song Hun smile. Then she said with a smile, "If the women outside knew that Young Master Song was here, they would surely rush to serve him, which would inevitably lead to noise, disorder, and annoyance. May I ask what kind of woman Young Master Song prefers? I will introduce her to you, and I will make you feel at home and enjoy all the pleasures!"

"If we're talking about charm, Lady Lü is the most charming and alluring, making people drool! But this is her charm, and there's no need to look at anything else."

Song Hun's eyes remained fixed on Lü He, and the smile on his face was somewhat exaggerated and distorted.

“Young Master Song is too kind. I am but a withered and decaying willow in autumn, barely fit to serve dishes and pour wine. How could I dare to go further and defile your refined taste?”

Upon hearing this, Lü He's smile faltered slightly. As she spoke, she glanced at Zhang Dai. After entering the room, she deliberately adopted an intimate posture with Zhang Dai. Any sensible guest would not say such things. It seemed that Song Hun did not take Zhang Dai seriously.

"Let's send over the 'Fragrance Seeking Manual' so that Young Master Song can peruse the myriad beauties."

Zhang Dai was too lazy to argue with Song Hun about such trivial matters, so he spoke to Lü He instead.

Upon hearing this, Lü He got up and left. Song Hun watched her figure disappear from sight before turning back and looking at Zhang Dai with curiosity, asking, "What is the 'Seeking Fragrance Manual'?"

The so-called "list of beauties" is a register of names in the brothels. Recently, the magistrate of Yunyang County purchased several brothels to present to Zhang Dai, causing a great deal of trouble for Lü He and the others.

To apologize, Zhang Dai helped Lü He create this document, teaching her how to accept and recruit women from other establishments within the music and dance troupe, thus providing customers with a wider and more comprehensive range of entertainment services. Soon after, the "Seeking Fragrances" catalog was delivered; it was a series of illustrated albums containing portraits of the courtesans, along with descriptions of their ages, appearances, figures, and the specific entertainment arts they were skilled in, based on their registered information.

"These women can all be summoned to serve at the banquet?"

After flipping through a few pages of the album, Song Hun looked at Zhang Dai with surprise and excitement and asked, "I have always heard that the two bends of the Northern Courtyard are the most beautiful places for romance and pleasure. Where can you find such interesting things in the Northern Courtyard?"

After saying this, he continued to flip through the picture book, and bluntly and unceremoniously selected four or five courtesans before reluctantly closing the book.

Zhang Dai took in all of Song Hun's actions after he entered the palace. He hadn't had much contact with him before, so he didn't have any particular feelings about him. But now it seemed that Song Jing probably had some kind of mysterious magic or skill that allowed him to embody all the good qualities of humanity, while leaving all the negative human flaws to his sons.

While waiting for the arrival of the courtesans, Song Hun stared intently at Zhang Dai, saying with a smile, "It seems that Zhang Liulang is not just a cold-hearted person in this northern neighborhood. I have been invited to visit before, and my companions have included many powerful and wealthy people, but I have rarely received such hospitality!"

Zhang Dai didn't bother to show off in front of him. After hearing this, he simply replied, "It's just my job. I come and go frequently, so naturally I know a lot of people."

"The child is well!"

Upon hearing this, Song Hun thought of his nephew Song Zhuo, the newly appointed Assistant Musician, and couldn't help but sigh. Then he looked at Zhang Dai and said, "Today I have received this hospitality, so I should tell Zhang Liulang some things. Of course, even if I don't say it, Zhang Liulang must know that Li Linfu hates you to the bone, right?"

"The sky has its sunshine and rain, and people have their good and evil. Some people hate evil like your father, the Duke of Guangping, and naturally there are also those who are jealous of the virtuous and capable and like to do evil. Since you, Song Jun, work with me in the same department, you should know my true nature. Your family upbringing has taught you that you would never agree to associate with me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said, "Although I am not an old acquaintance of Mr. Song, I am honored to be so well received by the Duke of Guangping today. You should know who I am. Driven by a sense of righteousness, you are willing to give me some words of advice, for which I am deeply grateful."

“That makes sense, but as Zhang Liulang said, I am not an old acquaintance of yours, but I am a colleague of Li Shi and we spend every day together, so there is a bond of friendship between us. He is willing to confide some of his secrets to me, and I should have a moral obligation to keep it a secret for him. It would be morally wrong to tell others about it right away!”

Song Hun spoke again, proving with his actions that as long as one has no morals, one will not be morally bound. Even if Zhang Dai brought up his father's name, he still had his own code of conduct.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but chuckle twice, feeling that among all the second-generation officials he knew, Song Hun belonged to a relatively low-class category.

“What you say makes sense, Song Jun. I was presumptuous and should not have coerced you into compromising your morals. So let us enjoy the scenery tonight and not talk about anything else, as a way of thanking you for your hospitality.”

Seeing that this guy was still going to play coy and keep him in suspense, Zhang Dai simply stopped playing along. Besides, he also felt that even if Li Linfu had some treacherous schemes against him, given his shrewdness, he wouldn't just tell Song Hun so easily.

After saying this, Zhang Dai simply drank by himself and did not try to start any new topics with Song Hun.

Seeing that he didn't seem to care at all, Song Hun became a little anxious. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly spoke up again: "I heard that Zhang Liulang owns a beauty business in Bianzhou, which earns him tens of thousands of coins a year. If he were to suddenly lose this business, he must be heartbroken."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned and looked directly at Song Hun, asking, "What makes you say this, Lord Song?"

Seeing that he had hit the nail on the head, Song Hun laughed again and then said, "I only heard about these things from Li Shi by chance. I admire Zhang Liulang quite a bit. I didn't expect that you, a mere junior apprentice, would have such remarkable skills in planning and execution. It's just a pity that a hundred tricks and a thousand schemes are not as good as one powerful force. If Zhang Liulang's business is coveted by someone with real power, I wonder if he can still hold on to it?"

Zhang Dai's grandfather was Zhang Shuo, and Song Hun's father was Song Jing. To be considered a truly powerful figure by them, one could only be a reigning prime minister. Considering Li Linfu's network of connections, Song Hun must have been referring to Yuwen Rong.

Previously, Yuwen Rong had tried to take advantage of Zhang Dai's money-making scheme in Bianzhou, but Zhang Dai had brushed it off with the "open market" method. Now, Song Hun was saying that the other party wanted to seize his property in Bianzhou, and that he had learned about it from Li Linfu, which made Zhang Dai a little curious.

"Since Lord Song is unwilling to compromise his principles, it seems I need to forge a deeper moral bond with him than Li Linfu did in order to receive your guidance?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Dai looked at Song Hun and said with a smile, "Then may I ask you, Lord Song, what should I do to establish this bond of righteousness?"

(End of this chapter)