White-robed Minister

61 [The True Story of Listening to Music in a Brothel]

Xu Lai carried a pile of prizes back to his dormitory and slowly counted them out of his savings.

He bought a copy of "Mencius: Phonetic and Semantic Dictionary", two sets of robes for changing, and paid extra for meals at the canteen. Now he only has 3167 coins left.

The reward of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones was timely; otherwise, he would have had to pay for them himself.

The mulberry hair clipper must be brought out and presented to Yu Jing to receive a reward.

"Alright, let's not refuse today, let's go drink and have some fun together!"

A group of students put the prizes back in their dormitory, then came together and carried Xu away.

It really put Xu Sanlang in a terrible predicament, as he was dragged away to drink and brothels against his will.

Of course, some students were unhappy and secretly reported them for violating the rules by going out. But when the punishment was sent to the principal, Chen Cigong simply crossed it out.

Young scholars who have rendered meritorious service and received rewards should celebrate joyfully; such matters can be tolerated.

Chen Cigong studied and upheld etiquette throughout his life, but his understanding of etiquette was not rigid.

The group laughed and joked as they headed to the west of the city, intending to inform Liang Wensu and Ding Zhengchen and deliver their prizes as well.

It was still early, only mid-afternoon.

As Xu Lai passed through the city center, he saw a speedboat approaching.

Before the ship had even come to a complete stop, some officials jumped ashore and sprinted towards the Guangzhou government district.

"What kind of urgent document is this?" Luo Dunxin muttered.

Xu Lai thought to himself: Could it be that Emperor Renzong of Song has died?

The students went to Liang Wensu's house first. His father was not home, but his brother Liang Wenqing greeted them.

Upon hearing that his younger brother had received an award and that it would be easier for him to pass the exam next year, Liang Wenqing was overjoyed and wanted to invite everyone to his home for a celebratory drink.

After repeated attempts to persuade him to stay failed, Liang Wenqing pulled his younger brother aside: "Do you have enough money? Tonight, take your classmates to Huixianlou. Don't worry about money. Especially that Xu Lai, be sure to befriend him. If Xue, the head of the business, is available, ask him to show up."

The head of a business generally refers to the person in charge of a particular industry.

However, in the context of prostitutes, it specifically refers to the top courtesan in a particular place. For example, Li Shishi was the top courtesan in Tokyo's "Shangting"—"Shangting" specifically refers to the public halls where the government recruited courtesans for performances.

"I have money. I haven't used up the money I was given last time." Liang Wensu took out a silver ingot.

Liang Wenqing saw the scholars off at the door, and watching his younger brother's departing figure, he felt an indescribable excitement and joy.

Finally, a member of the Liang family will have to go to the capital to take the imperial examination!

After leaving the Liang family, the group went to the foreign quarters to find Ding Zhengchen.

This place is full of foreigners, from Southeast Asia to the Persian Gulf, from all over the world. There are even Indians here.

Xu looked around for a while, then asked curiously, "Aren't there any Black people?"

Liang Wensu laughed and said, "Sanlang, are you talking about the Kunlun slaves? They live by the sea and are not allowed to live near the city. Those Kunlun slaves do not understand human language and are no different from beasts. But they are all excellent swimmers. If a ship leaks, they will send a Kunlun slave to dive and repair the hull."

Diving to repair the ship's hull... this is not just hard work, it's literally life-threatening work.

Definitely a consumable item.

Moreover, most Black people who are excellent swimmers are not from Africa, but rather from Southeast Asia.

Before long, they arrived at the Ding family's house.

The Ding family reacted even more strongly. Ding Rulin opened the main gate and led his entire family out to greet them.

"Gentlemen, please come to the inner courtyard. I will send someone to buy sheep and wine... Is this my second son's prize? Writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, very good! The Ding family will certainly live up to your expectations and study hard for the imperial examination." Ding Rulin was so happy he was about to faint, his fat face shaking with excitement.

Ding Xiaomei stood behind, secretly observing Xu Lai.

After two months apart, she noticed that Xu Sanlang's skin was even whiter, and he seemed to have grown taller, becoming even more handsome and dashing.

It just goes to show that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

After another round of refusals, Ding Rulin finally stopped trying to keep the guests and instructed his son to take everyone to Huixianlou.

I reckon two young masters will be vying to pay the bill tonight.

Huixianlou is located outside the city, in the middle of the main market street and the foreign quarter. It is an absolutely prime location, close to the docks, commercial streets and wealthy areas, and convenient for dignitaries from within the city to visit.

When Xu Lai and the others arrived at Huixianlou, it was not yet time for dinner.

Upon seeing a group of scholars appear, a servant immediately came forward, bowing and scraping with a forced smile.

Sibo were a common group in brothels and restaurants. They dressed smartly and served customers drinks, sang, offered fruit, changed soups, and provided entertainment. They could even offer aphrodisiacs. Their fixed wages were meager, and they relied entirely on tips from customers for a living.

Ding Zhengchen seemed to be a frequent visitor, and asked directly, "Is Chief Xue free today?"

Nasibo replied, "I really don't know. I'll have to ask Master Yang."

The brothel manager is the owner or agent of high-class prostitutes, responsible for arranging and coordinating the schedules of their artists. The more famous a prostitute is, the more customers she will have, and if not handled properly, jealousy and rivalry are inevitable.

Before long, the scholars arrived on the third floor, and Master Yang soon appeared.

This Master Yang was a retired prostitute. As soon as he entered, he greeted everyone with a broad smile: "So it's Ding Erlang who's here. Erlang has probably been studying hard lately and hasn't come for two or three months."

Ding Zhengchen's face flushed, and he immediately scolded, "I don't come here often, I've only come a few times with friends. Don't say anything else, just ask if you, Xue, are free."

"I have a moment, I have a moment. Since you gentlemen are here as guests, even if Master Xue is busy, he must entertain you," said Master Yang. "Master Xue still needs to dress up; shall we warm up the atmosphere a bit?"

Ding Zhengchen said, "Go and make the arrangements quickly."

Liang Wensu remained silent throughout. His brother had instructed him to treat his classmate well, but it was his first time visiting Huixianlou, and he was no match for Ding Zhengchen, that seasoned veteran.

Before long, another official arrived.

This person is male, equivalent to an artistic director, responsible for organizing the band's schedule and arranging various pieces.

Du Zhi walked up to Ding Zhengchen and asked if there were any must-see performances or any that he disliked, so that he could adjust the rest of the performance.

Ding Zhengchen asked, "What kind of music do you gentlemen like to hear? What kind of music do you not want to hear?"

Most of the students present might have visited brothels before, but very few had ever been to the third floor of Huixianlou. They weren't picky and let Ding Zhengchen, the experienced driver, make the arrangements.

This venue is huge; it can comfortably seat more than twenty people without feeling crowded.

The scholars sat down at separate tables, two people per long table. Xu Lai and Yang Shu sat together.

The middle and opposite doors were left empty, presumably to provide space for performances.

Xu Lai looked at the furnishings with curiosity, a little bit of anticipation in his heart.

But then Ding Zhengchen threw down the silver ingot, and Master Yang caught it and immediately began preparing for the performance.

Liang Wensu touched the silver ingot in his pocket and asked curiously, "Do I need to pay first?"

Before Ding Zhengchen could even explain, another experienced driver named Lin Chong said, "This is called paying for drinks. Merchants use this to estimate a customer's financial situation and arrange corresponding food, drinks, and entertainers based on the amount paid. It's become a custom now; even regular customers you know well are expected to pay."

The scholars suddenly realized what had happened and felt they had learned something new.

As they were talking, wine jars, wine cups, fruit platters, and other items were brought in and set out one after another.

Xu Lai thought he would be accompanied by prostitutes, but instead, he found himself with a servant named Si Bo, who was responsible for serving him and Yang Shu. Si Bo was about twenty years old, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, and dressed better than Xu Lai.

There were twelve or thirteen servants, each serving two people. They first poured the wine from the wine jar into a white porcelain pitcher, and then placed the pitcher into a serving bowl.

This is warming the wine.

As the wine was being warmed, a band of musicians appeared and began to play traditional Chinese music.

Xu Lai approached the process with a research mindset, carefully observing each step. Aside from Si Bo sitting next to him, which annoyed him, everything else seemed quite good.

"It's okay, I can do it myself," Xu Lai said to Si Bo.

Si Bo retreated to Yang Shu's side, and at the same time said to Xu Lai, "I will serve you again when it's time to change the soup."

The so-called "changing the soup" refers to replacing the hot water used for warming the wine in the serving bowl.

After a piece of music finished playing, the wine was almost warm, and the servants poured the wine into the silver cups.

Xu Lai picked up the wine pot himself without waiting for anyone else to pour the wine.

Ding Zhengchen stood up, raised his silver cup, and said, "It is my great honor to have met you all. There is no need for further words; please drink this cup to the brim!"

"drink!"

Everyone raised their glasses and drank heartily.

After the opening drink, the music changed from folk music to arias.

The musicians beat their drums and sang folk songs, their voices light and humorous.

Then the dancers appeared and came to the center of the venue. There were both men and women, and as they danced, they interacted with the guests, saying auspicious words and urging them to drink.

A young female dancer was dressed rather provocatively, with her shoulders, bra, and calves exposed.

She danced to Xu Lai's table, winked playfully, and said in a sweet voice, "Young master's wine cup is not full."

"Haha, I'll fill up Sanlang's cup." Yang Shu laughed.

This guy has given up alcohol and drinks only boiled water.

The person in charge of them, Si Bo, was quite speechless: one didn't need to be served, and the other only drank water.

The young dancer leaned closer, inhaling the aroma of the wine with a blissful expression: "Fairy wine for a gentleman, may fortune and prosperity last forever. Gentleman, drink!"

Just as Xu Lai was about to speak, the girl took another step back, laughing and skipping back into the arena.

Yang Shu joked, "How about it?"

Xu Lai said, "It's quite lively, different from what I imagined."

"What are you thinking?" Yang Shu asked. "A group of men eating and drinking with prostitutes?"

Xu Lai laughed heartily: "More or less."

Yang Shu said, "Only low-class brothels are like that. This is the third floor of Huixian Tower, so it shouldn't be so vulgar."

"Brother Jiezhi has been here before?" Xu Lai asked in return.

Yang Shu said, "I've been here twice, and both times it was someone else who treated me, which I couldn't afford. One of the people who treated me was my best friend. He went to the capital to take the imperial examination, and I don't know if he'll pass. Judging by the days, the palace examination is already over."

As the performers sang their second song, guests began to join in.

The scholars held empty wine jars, using them as earthenware pots, and gently tapped them while singing. Some even joined the dancers in dancing.

Xu Lai found it very interesting, but unfortunately he couldn't sing or dance like that, so he could only drink and cheer for everyone.

By the third song, Yang Shu couldn't resist any longer, so he rolled up his sleeves and went offstage to dance.

As darkness fell outside the window, the musicians gradually withdrew.

A group of servants rushed in and began to light the lamps for the guests.

A red gauze gardenia lantern hangs at each of the four corners, and a glass lamp stands in front of each guest. Half-person-high lamp stands are erected along the aisle, each holding a white porcelain, oil-saving lamp.

Finally, benches were placed above the dance hall, and several giant candles were lit in mid-air.

The room was brightly lit.

Xu Lai looked at the giant candles, feeling a little awkward.

At that time, beeswax was not yet widely used, and candles were usually made from beeswax. Ordinary candles were quite expensive, let alone such high-end candles.

The price of one giant candle could probably buy Xu Lai's entire body of clothing.

That's fucking extravagant!

Xu Lai knew, of course, that a commodity society must have high consumption, but he felt extremely uncomfortable participating in it.

The servant responsible for adding candles and lamps left, and the leading lady of the night finally made her appearance.

Scholars who had never been here before couldn't help but peek behind the gauze curtain the moment they heard footsteps. They were all eager to know what Xue, the famous head of the brothel in Guangzhou, looked like.

Xu Lai was no exception.