Chapter 47: Returning to Pingkang Fang

Pei Min stepped into the Pingkang Ward once again. This was only the second time he had come here since arriving in Chang'an.

The first time, naturally, was on the third day of the third month, the Shangsi Festival, when he and a group of newly minted imperial scholars went together to visit the courtesans. Looking back, it was just a short half-year ago. Yet in this brief span of several months, Chang'an had undergone earth-shattering changes. The score of men who had passed the imperial examinations alongside him had long since gone their separate ways. Lu Ze and Feng Zhi, who had also passed the examinations, had their scholar statuses revoked because they were people of Princess Taiping. If they wanted to become officials again, they would have to go through the imperial examination process all over again. Xue Yong, with whom he had grown close thanks to Yan Gaoqing, relied on his exceptional eloquence to pass the Ministry of Personnel's re-examination and was assigned to serve as a local registrar in Shandong. Separated by vast distances, they had lost touch.

As for the others who passed the Ministry of Personnel's re-examination, most were assigned to serve as officials across the realm, while those who failed went to various regions to become aides to prefectural governors or regional military commissioners—yet another form of advancement.

Among all those who had passed the imperial examinations together this year, only a sparse few were still lingering in Chang'an.

At this thought, as Pei Min looked at the bustling crowd coming and going around him, he could not help but sigh with emotion.

When they came the first time, they were the protagonists, so they hadn't truly appreciated the prosperity of the Pingkang Ward. Arriving today merely as a passerby, he finally came to truly understand the magnificent spectacle of Chang'an's red-light district.

Flowing north and south were scholars, chivalrous youths, wealthy merchants, and noble scions. Full of high-spirited enthusiasm, they squandered their wealth like dirt, lingering among the floral pavilions and elegant towers, deeply immersed in a dreamlike life of sensual indulgence.

Pei Min knew this was not yet the true peak of Pingkang Ward's prosperity. The busiest season for the ward was the beginning of the year, when local officials paying their annual tribute and candidates coming to the capital for examinations—numbering anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands each year—would completely pack the Pingkang Ward to bursting. Yet even today, during the off-season, the Pingkang Ward remained noisy day and night, its lanterns never extinguishing.

Along both sides of the main street in Pingkang Ward stood a dozen brothels and elegant houses, each with its own unique charm and distinct flavor. Among them, the brocade House was undoubtedly the largest and most famous. Its top courtesan, Jiaochen, possessed a zither-playing skill akin to heavenly music, an peerless appearance, and was Chang'an's most renowned singer and dancer who sold only her art, not her body. Such a beauty, blessed with both striking looks and brilliant talents, naturally became the object of fierce pursuit by the capital's youths, sending all the scholars of the city running after her.

She had risen to fame at the age of fifteen, and three years had passed since then. In these three years, countless men had attempted to win the beauty's heart, but not a single one had succeeded. In order to taste her sweet favor, some even spared no expense to bribe Jiaochen's maid, hoping to learn what price must be paid to gain the beauty's consent. Jiaochen's answer was simply a single sentence: "It is very simple, yet no one has done it."

Jiaochen called it simple, but to this day, still no one had managed to achieve it.

Pei Min stepped into the Brocade House. The sharp-eyed procuress greeted him immediately, beaming from ear to ear as she said, "Young Master Pei, we've yearned for you day and night, and finally you're here!"

The Tang dynasty enjoyed an open social atmosphere, and it was entirely normal for scholars, chivalrous youths, and noble scions to frequent taverns and pleasure quarters, nor would officials be punished for visiting courtesans. Seeing Pei Min arrive, the procuress felt nothing improper and warmly invited him up to a private room on the upper floor.

The room was elegant and refined, consisting of three small chambers. The innermost chamber naturally held an ornate bed, the middle chamber contained a square table set with tea utensils, and the outermost chamber was the largest, equipped with a zither, chess set, books, paintings, and the four treasures of the study. The specific purpose of each room was clear at a glance.

The procuress smiled warmly and said, "This is Young Master Pei's first time here, would you like me to introduce the top maidens of my establishment?"

Pei Min smiled and said, "I am looking for Jiaochen. I wonder if she is in."

The procuress's smile froze slightly, but she quickly replaced it with a grin and said, "She is in, but she does not receive guests. Aside from Jiaochen, our Brocade House has many other beautiful maidens. Would you perhaps..."

"Why does she not receive guests?" Pei Min asked out of curiosity, as he was truly unfamiliar with the rules of the Tang dynasty's pleasure houses.

The procuress said with a helpless sigh, "Jiaochen bought her own freedom long ago. Aside from the Directorate of Music, no one can order her around. She only has her name registered here at the Brocade House, coming at the beginning, middle, and end of each month to play a few tunes and meet with refined men of exceptional literary talent. As for whether anyone can make an appointment with her at other times, it depends entirely on her personal whim. She only came yesterday and played three tunes; no matter what, she will not come out today." The procuress spoke with a face full of grievance. To possess the greatest cash cow and yet be unable to command her was like seeing bright, shiny silver coins that could be touched—she felt heartache just thinking about it.

Pei Min never expected that Jiaochen had bought her own freedom. He was stunned for a moment before asking, "Then where might one find her?"

Seeing that Pei Min was determined to see Jiaochen today, and recalling earlier rumors as well as Pei Min's current power and status, the procuress hurriedly said, "Young Master Pei, wait here for a moment. I'll go and ask for you. Perhaps, upon hearing that it is you, Miss Jiaochen will come."

"Very well!" Pei Min replied and casually found a seat to sit down.

The procuress took her leave.

Not long after, the door was pushed open by a purple-robed woman overflowing with alluring charm. She was dressed in an exceptionally fashionable manner; although her attire retained a classical style, it revealed a deep cleavage, much like modern female celebrities who are terrified the world might not notice their assets. People always said the Tang dynasty was open-minded, but arriving here made Pei Min realize that no matter how open this era was, it still couldn't compare to those female stars walking the red carpet in the entertainment industry. Yet the purple-robed woman before him could certainly rival certain modern actresses.

Holding a cup of warm tea, she swayed with lotus steps toward him and said, "Young Master Pei, please have some tea!"

"Ah, thank you!" Pei Min reached out and took it. A peppermint-scented aroma drifted toward his face, prompting him to smile and say, "It seems my preference for peppermint-flavored tea is known to everyone in Chang'an."

The purple-robed woman smiled and said, "Naturally. Young Master Pei is blessed with brilliant literary talent and transcendent sword techniques—a literary and martial star descended to the mortal world. This humble slave has admired you for a long time, and to be able to see the Young Master today is the greatest fortune of my three lifetimes." With that, she offered a graceful bow, dipping her body slightly. Her bodice was of a loose-fitting style, and this slight bend laid the spring scenery of her chest completely bare.

Driven by basic male instinct, Pei Min glanced at it a few times, with only one thought in his mind: *So big! White and huge, just like a pair of giant leather balls.*

There was no breast-enhancement technology in this era; this was thoroughly genuine, 100% natural goods. No wonder she dared to wear clothes revealing such cleavage—her foundation was truly different.

As a pure and innocent young virgin, Pei Min instantly felt his throat grow a bit dry and hurriedly took a sip of the tea in his hand to moisten it.

Before Pei Min could speak, the door opened once again. A woman in cyan garments entered, also holding a cup of tea. Her style was different from the purple-robed woman. If the purple-robed woman was mature and charming, this cyan-robed woman was light, pretty, and delightful, a naive and innocent smile dancing across her face. Glancing at the cleavage-baring purple-robed woman, she smiled and said, "Sister Ziqin, you've stolen a march on me!" Her voice was crisp and melodious. Without waiting for the purple-robed woman to reply, the cyan-robed woman walked up with a giggle, curtsied neatly, and said, "Greetings, Young Master Pei. Please taste Xiaoqing's brewing; it will surely be better than Sister Zi's."

The purple-robed woman let out a soft huff, but said nothing further.

Pei Min still hadn't figured out what was going on, but since one doesn't hit a smiling face, he set his previous cup aside and accepted the tea handed over by the cyan-robed woman. The tea was translucent and fragrant, naturally carrying the scent of peppermint. Taking a slow sip, the slight bitterness of the tea and the sweetness of the mint swirled in his mouth, the two contrasting flavors forming a special sensation on his palate. After swallowing, the lingering bitterness turning to sweetness mixed with the cool freshness of the mint, giving him a particularly comforting sensation. He couldn't help but praise, "Good tea, more than ten times better than what I brew myself."

Hearing this praise, the woman who called herself Xiaoqing smiled sweetly and said, "As long as Young Master Pei likes it. If the Young Master enjoys it, Xiaoqing is willing to brew tea for you every day."

As Pei Min was wondering how to reply, the door opened yet again. This time, in came a woman dressed in red. The red-robed woman was likewise holding a cup of tea. Glancing at the purple-robed and cyan-robed women, she said, "It seems I am a step too late. This humble slave, Manlian, greets Young Master Pei. I have long heard of your handsome and refined elegance, and today I have come to see you uninvited—please forgive my discourtesy. It's just that this humble slave deeply adores your poem *The Brocade Zither* and has composed a melody for it. No matter what, I wanted to let the Young Master listen..." Without waiting for Pei Min's consent, the moment he accepted the tea, she began to sing.

*The brocade zither, for no reason, has fifty strings;*
*Each string, each bridge, recalls the prime of youth.*
*Master Zhuang dreamed in dawn's light, confusing himself with a butterfly;*
*The Spring heart of the Emperor of Wang was entrusted to a cuckoo.*
*At the vast sea, the moon shines bright and pearls have tears;*
*In Lantian, warmed by the sun, jade gives birth to mist.*
*Can these feelings be treated as mere memories?*
*Only that at the time, I was already bewildered.*

The red-robed woman's singing voice was exceptionally beautiful—ethereal and soaring yet retaining its luster, filled with a natural gentleness that reminded Pei Min of Teresa Teng from later generations.

*The Brocade Zither* was a mournful poem, and as the red-robed woman sang, she conveyed the general meaning of the verse through her voice.

Especially the sorrow and despair contained in historical allusions like Master Zhuang dreaming of the butterfly and the Emperor of Wang's cuckoo weeping blood—she sang them in a way that stirred the depths of the soul...

Deeply moved, Pei Min thought that if Li Shangyin had been born a few centuries later, he surely would have become soulmates with this red-robed woman...

Before he could speak, the door opened again. Yes, it opened once more.

...

At this very moment, outside the Brocade House, clamor and commotion had merged into a roar.

Someone asked, "Which one is this?"

"The sixth, right? No, wait, it should be the seventh!" someone said, counting on their fingers with a completely confused mind.

"How are you counting? It must be eight, no—look, another one is carrying tea inside. This is the ninth... the ninth!" the person emphasized.

"Who knows what high personage is inside that room? Some people are just infuriating compared to others. We all come to the pleasure houses to spend money and seek amusement, but for this high personage, the amusements deliver themselves right to his door..." The ordinary visitors looked on with unadulterated envy.

"Who knows who it is? Even if His Majesty the Emperor came, it wouldn't be much more than this. These are all the top names of the Brocade House, and they're all throwing themselves inside..." The martial arts chivalrous heroes also wore expressions of jealousy and hatred. They always said chivalrous men and beauties were a natural match, so why did such good fortune never fall upon them?

"Hey, hey, hey... Look, who is that?"

Suddenly, the clamor outside the Brocade House fell completely silent. The peerless, epoch-making top courtesan of Chang'an, Jiaochen, led by the procuress, walked toward that room which had captured the vast majority of gazes in the Brocade House...

Wails of despair rose, one wave after another.